Pretty Little Liars: Pregnant Little Liars
by He0524
Summary: The girl you would least expect to get pregnant gets pregnant! They form a pact, and soon, the Liars are carrying precious little versions of themselves. But with A on their backs, and drama exploding left, right and center, how will it all go down? Who will get hurt? Couples: Spencer/Toby; Hanna/Caleb; Aria/Ezra; Emily/Maya.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Spencer paced up and down her room, holding the long, narrow, rectangular object in her hand. It had the word 'pregnant' on the digital screen. She took a few more minutes to pace the room before sitting down on her bed and once again, staring at the word 'pregnant'. It couldn't be true, could it – the goody-two-shoes, Spencer _Hastings,_ pregnant? No… Surely it was some sort of mistake? She rose from her bed and walked back into the bathroom, where a second set of pregnancy tests lay, untouched, though not for long…

She sat back down on her bed and took deep breaths – not that it helped…

5 minutes later, she walked back into the bathroom, dreading the worst. She slowly picked up all 4 tests that she had used and looked at the screen.

"Not Pregnant." She let out a sigh of relief.

Her heart dropped when she saw the next… and the next… and the next…

"Pregnant"

"Pregnant"

"Pregnant"

* * *

Hanna desperately dug around for her credit card as her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, irritated with the person.

"Hanna, it's me."

"Aria, what is it?" Hanna asked, using her shoulder to support the mobile as both her hands continued to throw things around.

"You wanna hit the mall later?" The brunette asked.

"Um, I'm not too sure. I can't find my credit card…" The blond replied, going crazier by the minute.

"Wow, Hanna Marin declines an invitation to _the mall_? This should be the headline of tomorrow's papers…" Aria muttered, teasing her friend.

"Shut up," Hanna laughed along, relaxing for a minute.

"Call me if your mind changes. Cheers," Aria finished and waited for a reply.

"Sure. Bye."

* * *

"Mom? Mom!" Hanna called her mother as she walked down the stairs. She saw her mother in the kitchen.

"What is it, sweetie?" Ashley looked up from her documents.

"Have you seen my credit card?"

"Oh yea, I forgot to tell you – I used it earlier to buy some groceries, I hope you don't mind."

"Oh yea, sure, of course I don't mind the fact that you used _my_ credit card! I've been tearing my room apart for it!" Hanna said, thick on sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find you earlier…" Ashley frowned and went back to staring at her paper work.

"Uhg, it's fine. Is it okay if Aria and I hit the mall later?"

"Hanna… what more could you possibly want to buy? You know we're tight on budget…"

"I know, mom, but I promise I won't use a lot… $200 max, please?" Hanna gave her mother the puppy eyes.

"Oh alright, I suppose. But your curfew is 11, Hanna. Wait… school night… Oh, just be home by 11, will you?" It was Ashley's turn to plead her daughter.

"Sure mom, no prob," Hanna said, as she turned back to go her room.

* * *

"What am I going to do?" Spencer whispered to herself, as tears began to fall. Just then, she heard a knock at the door. She bolted from her bed to the bathroom, wrapped all the tests in a towel, wiped her face and sat back down on her bed.

"Come in," she tried her best not to sound croaky.

"Honey, your father and I are going to the country club for lunch with your sister. Would you like to come?" The lawyer asked, dressed in a suit, like always.

"No, thanks, Mom. I need to finish off some homework and get started on an essay…" Spencer tried hard not to look into her mother's eyes in case she started crying again.

"You gotta take things easy, darling… But alright. Do you want me to get you some take-away, then?"

Spencer thought about it for a moment. She really liked to eat, and if she said 'no' to this too, she knew she mother would smell a rat.

"Yes, please," she finally said and forced a smile.

"Alright sweetie. We'll be back in about 3 hours. Love you."

"Bye, love you too, Mom."

Spencer sighed a sigh of relief as she dropped on her bed and stared at the ceiling_. How was she going to cope with this? How was she going to break the news to her parents and family? _Once again, she sighed and thought it would be best to tell her friends first because they would be the most supportive.

* * *

**_Tuesday morning, Rosewood High_**

"Hey," Spencer greeted the girls as she sat down with her lunch at their table.

"Hi," all the other girls said in unison.

"Whoa, Spence, eating all that?" Hanna asked, staring at Spencer's plate which consisted of… let's just say a_ lot_ of things.

"Yea. Problem?" Spencer shot back. She felt so guilty of not telling her friends why she needed to eat so much, but she had already decided that she wasn't ready… just yet…

"No… not at all…" Hanna said, looking at Spencer a little suspiciously before getting back to her food.

"So, you guys wanna sleep over tonight?" Emily asked her friends.

"School night?" Aria asked.

"So?" Hanna said. "Count me in."

"Spencer?" Hanna looked at her.

"Um, sure. Of course."

"So Aria, you coming or not?" Emily asked the shortest brunette.

"I suppose I'll miss out on the fun. Yea, I'll be there."

"Great, bring clothes for school tomorrow. Oh, I need to get to the locker rooms and change. I'll only be back later this afternoon," finished Emily, standing up from her seat and picking up her tray.

"Swim match?" Spencer asked.

"Yea. See you all later!"

* * *

Spencer finished packing an overnight bag for herself and lay down on her bed. Going to a sleepover meant a 60% chance of getting caught. And how was she going to tell Toby? A tear slipped down her cheek, sideways, and she quickly wiped it away. Man, she didn't like the fact that she was so emotional nowadays.

She went outside and put her car to drive. Just as she reversed out of the driveway, she got a text from Hanna.

_Hanna: Hey, can you pick up me and Aria? We decided that we don't want 3 cars in poor Em's driveway…_

_Spencer: Sure, I'm on my way. _

_Hanna: Thanks!_

Spencer tossed her phone next to her in a passenger's seat and changed directions to go to Aria's house first, since it was the closest.

* * *

"G'night. I'll wake you guys up at six." Emily got onto her bed.

"Yea. Night."

* * *

**_5:30am, Sleepover _**

Spencer woke up with a funny feeling in her stomach. Oh, shit, it was morning sickness. She ran to the bathroom and clumsily closed the door behind her before puking her guts out.

"Ewww… really… on the morning I have a sleepover I start morning sickness… for shit's sake…" she muttered to herself and flushed the toilet. She decided to take a few minutes in that position to calm her now-empty-stomach. Just then, the bathroom door opened.

"Spencer?" The blonde said groggily.

"Um, Hanna. Why are you up?" Spencer managed not to stutter.

"Move over, I gotta pee… hurry!" Hanna said, rubbing her eyes. Spencer obediently moved over and was on her way to the door, when…

"Spence… why did you throw up?" Hanna asked.

"Umm… bad food?" It came out more as a question.

"No… I'm fine, and so are the other girls… Don't tell me…" Hanna started in a disbelieving voice.

"Shh. I don't know what you're talking about…" Spencer kept no eye contact whatsoever.

"No…" Hanna whispered. "You are, aren't you?"

"Hanna-"

"Save it, Spence. Answer the question. Are you?" she questioned.

"Yes…" Spencer was barely audible, but Hanna understood by the tears that were forming in the brunette's eyes.

"Please don't say anything to anyone…" Spencer chocked out.

"Um… sure… Aw, you poor thing…" Hanna hugged Spencer tightly. "I'll always help you, Spence…"

"Thanks, Han. It means a lot. It really does…"


	2. Chapter 2: Hanna, AKA 'The Big Mouth'

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

"I-I just can't believe that she really _is_ pregnant…" The blond muttered to herself as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom. School was out and she was ready for the afternoon – trying on hundreds of different dresses for her date with Caleb Rivers that evening. Just as she opened her bedroom door, she heard her phone chime, indicating that she had received a text. She checked the sender: Emily.

_Emily: Hey. I'm bored… u wanna come over?_

_Hanna: Sorry, trying on different dresses for Caleb. Date night!_

_Emily: I keep you company?_

_Hanna: Sure (:_

_Emily: See you in 5._

She put her phone on her nightstand before walking up to her closet and taking out half of the dresses she owned and laying them out on her bed. She counted them – 19. She made a face at the 'small' number but shrugged it off.

Singing to herself, Hanna had just changed into her fifth dress when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said, digging in her closet for a shoe.

"Wow… you're gonna try on_ all_ of these?" Emily asked with wide eyes.

"Yea… and there's a couple more in here," she said, tapping the door of her closet.

"Gosh…"

"Which looks better, purple dress with black combat boots or just black pumps?" The blond asked the taller brunette.

"You're asking _me_? The _queen_ of shoes and handbags is asking a _swimmer_ on their opinion in _fashion_?" Emily put on her fake 'shocked' face. Hanna laughed.

"But seriously. Which looks better?"

"If I answer this, will there be no more trying on dresses?" Emily eagerly asked.

"Yea… I kinda like this dress… It shows my ass pretty well…" Hanna finished, turning her head backwards to check out her butt.

"You're so flexible when you have to stare at your own butt, but in gym class… you're always somehow as stiff as a rock…" Emily teased her friend.

"Shut up… So which one?" Hanna asked again, giggling.

"Definitely pumps, " Emily answered, nodding her head.

"Combat boots it is," Hanna said, putting back her pumps in her shoe closet.

"Wha-… why do you even bother to ask my opinion?" Emily asked, rolling her eyes.

"Just to see your abilities of creativity in fashion, which you _clearly_ don't have." It was Hanna's turn to tease the swimmer.

"Oh whatever. Did you finish your English essay?" Emily asked the blonde.

"W-what essay?" Hanna asked, her smile vanishing from her face in an instant.

"Oh my go-, Hanna… the one about the comparison of the different types of ironies?" Emily tried her best to explain.

"Gulp… gulp… gulp… shit, I'm soooooo screwed… Mr Fitz will give me a freaking detention!" Hanna exclaimed. "When is it due?"

"Tomorrow."

"When do we have English?" Hanna frantically asked.

"Last period…" Emily replied, narrowing her eyes, wondering what the _hell_ her friend was up to.

"Oh." Hanna sighed a sigh of relief. "That's enough time," she said, walking over to her make-up desk. She took a seat and began her make-up.

"How does it _exactly_ help you?" a confused Emily asked.

"I know people…" Hanna replied, smirking into the mirror as she brushed on a light foundation.

"What-… oh nevermind…" Emily gave up on her friend and looked at the clock that hung up on the wall. "I gotta get to swim practice. I'll call you later, okay?"

"This time? Dude, it's 6pm!" Hanna stared at Emily through the mirror.

"No, not at school. I train by myself… Kay I'll catch you later," Emily finished and bent down to give Hanna a hug. Hanna hugged back.

"Bye."

* * *

**_Next day, Rosewood High_**

Spencer and Aria sat down at the table where Emily and Hanna were already sitting.

"Spence!" Hanna suddenly shouted.

"Oh my-… You gave me a fright! Anyways, what?" Spencer asked, confused.

"Why are you eating so little? It's not good for you or the b-"

"HANNA!" Spencer hissed, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Spence, I really am…" Hanna immediately realised her mistake and apologised sincerely.

"Hanna? Spencer? Should we know about something?" Aria slowly asked.

"No. Nope. Nothing at all. Nope. No… no…" Hanna quickly said, trying to right her wrong.

"Oh forget it, Hanna, they aren't idiots. They'll figure it out sooner or later, but it may as well be now, from _me_…" Spencer looked like she was on the verge of tears. She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled.

"Spence, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to-" Emily began.

"No… no… it's fine, I'll tell you guys… I'm… I'm…" Spencer failed to finish her sentence. Hanna carefully considered what to say.

"She's pregnant." The blonde finally said, looking away as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Huh?" Both Aria and Emily looked confused.

"I'm pregnant. As in there's a baby inside of me…" Spencer spoke for herself.

"Wha- How… Who… When…" Aria looked as shocked as Spencer herself.

"I don't know… I found out like two days ago…" Spencer mumbled, looking down at her own fingers.

"Who-" Emily began, but was cut off by Spencer.

"Toby."

"Aw, Spence… we'll be here for you… always… I promise," Emily said, standing up and going round the table to Spencer's side to give her a hug.

"Thanks, guys, but you don't understand. I don't think you ever will…" Spencer said sadly, sniffing.

"What if we could?" Hanna suddenly asked.

"Hanna, please, this isn't the time to be-" Aria began, but was cut off by the blonde.

"No, Aria, I'm serious. What if we _could_ understand Spencer? Like literally, be in her shoes?" Hanna asked.

"And what _exactly_ are you suggesting?" Aria asked, irritated.

"We could also fall pregnant, duh…" Hanna said, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wha-… Hey… Hanna, that's the _first_ _time_ you've said anything smart…" Aria said, staring at Hanna.

"Hey-" Hanna tried to argue with Aria's statement, but Spencer cut in.

"No. Absolutely not. I'm not having you guys ruin your lives for me," Spencer said, shaking her head profusely.

"Spencer, you don't have a say in this. It's our choice and we'll decide," Hanna said, dismissing the fact that Spencer was even there. Her mind was already made up – she accidentally told the other two girls, so she was going to do whatever it took to help Spencer.

"But-" Spencer started.

"No buts. If we decide to do this, we'll decide. So, Aria? Emily?" Hanna asked seriously.

"Yea. Of course." Aria replied without hesitating.

"Um… yea… sure…" Emily sounded more uncomfortable than sure.

"Well I'm in," said Hanna, with a look on her face – a look of determination.

"Guys, you _really_ don't have to-"

"Shh, Spence." Hanna and Aria both said in unison.

"Well I guess it's decided, then. Girls, ASAP, please," Hanna took charge and spoke to Emily and Aria, who both nodded – Aria more determined than Emily.


	3. Chapter 3: One's Confused

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

Emily looked at herself in the mirror. She just stared and stared and the reflection stared back silently. While all this was happening, there was one question and only one question spinning her head – 'why do I feel different?'  
Of course, she didn't know the answer to this really weird, but true question. Emily shrugged it off as a normal 'teen-girl-worry' thing and went downstairs to retrieve her schoolbag that she had left on the kitchen island earlier. As she made her way to the island, she got a text from Ben, her boyfriend.

_Ben: Hey babe (: Whatcha doin? _

_Emily: Hey (: Sorry, I can't talk now, I have so much homework due tomorrow..._

_Ben: Aw, okay. See you at school tomorrow… love ya!_

_Emily: Bye (:_

See, this was the exact thing she was talking about – she thought she 'loved' Ben, but she didn't really feel attracted to him… She took a deep breath, exhaled sharply and went back to her room.

Emily had just started on her Chemistry homework when she heard the doorbell ring. Her mother had told her that she was going to be late tonight because she was going to meet up with her friends, so she just assumed it was one of her friends and opened the door.

It felt like she had swallowed air and somehow, air was now a deadly sharp object. Her heart started beating faster and faster.

"Hi," said the person.

"H-hi, Maya. What are you doing here?" Emily asked, stuttering over her words.

"You don't want me here." Maya sounded 'serious'.

"No, not at all- Please don't think that, it's- No, that's not the way I meant-" Emily started breathing and talking much faster. Maya cut her off.

"Emily, calm down, I was kidding…" Maya laughed and made her way in. Emily shut the door behind her and tried to calm her nerves. Believe it or not, Maya St. Germain made her more nervous than times when she had to swim as anchor for her school team.

"Would you like anything to drink? Tea? Water? Coffee?" Emily was sweating.

"Emily, I'm your friend, not your mother's friend," said Maya, once again laughing and putting her bag down on the floor.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…" Emily suddenly didn't know what to say anymore. What was she supposed to say? _'Hey Maya, whenever you're around, I get weird feelings in my stomach.'_

"Seriously, Em, relax. Anyways, the reason why I'm here is because I think I need to talk to you about something." Maya kept a straight face.

"Um… okay… do you wanna sit down? Go to my bedroom?" Emily asked, worry creeping over her.

"Let's sit down," Maya said, looking around. Emily led her to the living room and they sat down, opposite each other, facing one another.

"So…" Emily started, not knowing where this was heading.

"So… I'm really having problems in Chemistry with my lab partner and I was wondering if you would like to be my new lab partner?" Maya asked, playing with her ring that was now loose from her finger.

Emily almost let out a sigh of relief, but managed to turn it into a 'clearing-throat-process' at the last second.

"Um, sure, Maya. I'd love to. I'll just have to let Uriel know, though," Emily said, smiling. Uriel was her current lab partner.

"Okay great, thanks," Maya said, standing up and picking up her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow at school then."

"Yea, sure. Have a great evening," Emily said, smiling as she stood by the door. Maya smiled back and left.

* * *

Hanna and Caleb sat in Hanna's living room, watching a romantic comedy.

"You know, these things never have a twist plot-" Caleb started.

"SHHH!" Hanna abruptly slapped her hand over Caleb's half-open mouth, her eyes still glued to the TV.

"Hanna, that hurt-"

"Shut-up! You're ruining the moment!" Hanna scolded, taking two seconds to take her eyes off the TV to glare at Caleb.

"Girls and their unexpected craziness…" Caleb muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

* * *

Aria sat on her bed, thinking deep. _How was she going to do this? _Her friends knew that she had a boyfriend. That wasn't the problem, though. The real problem was, her boyfriend was Ezra _Fitz_. When she didn't spill the beans about her boyfriend's name, Spencer and the other girls thought that she was just shy and not ready to tell them yet. They were fine with that, but Aria wondered how they were going to take _this_.

"Aria? Aria? Earth to Aria?" Mike snapped his fingered in front of Aria's face.

"Mike!" Aria jumped. "What do you want?"

"I called you like ten times. Who're you thinking about? That Uriel guy? I saw you checking him out in the halls the other day," said Mike, wriggling his eyebrows.

"Yea, checking if he was on my 'never-date-these-people' list," Aria answered sarcastically.

"Whatever. Mom and Dad have gone out again. They said you were gonna make me dinner," Mike said, walking up to Aria's make-up table.

"Oh you're not a baby. Here, go order pizza and don't disturb me." Aria handed Mike a twenty-dollar bill.

"Cheers." Mike grinned, walking out.

Aria went back to thinking. Ezra would get fired for sure if he was discovered in a relationship with her, a minor. Hell, he would be put into an orange jumpsuit. She didn't want any of that, but on the other hand… Aria had had intense baby fever since last summer, when her cousin had given birth to a baby girl.

She shook her head and massaged her throbbing temple. Perhaps it would be better if she just went to bed for now…

* * *

As the movie came to an end, Hanna stretched and looked at her phone – 11:38pm. Okay, so not too late yet… She looked at Caleb who was staring at the screen blankly. She had done a few calculations and had figured out that if things did go properly today, she _could_ get pregnant. Hanna decided it was now or never. She slowly leaned in towards him, and when he turned his head to look at her, she captured his lips with hers. It was only a matter of seconds before things got heated, and soon, Hanna's shirt had developed wings and had flown off of her body.

So far, this night was going _exactly_ how she wanted it to go. Only, she did not know what she _really_ was doing to herself.

* * *

**_The next day, Rosewood High_**

Hanna yawed for the fifth time in English that day. Aria, Spencer and Emily kept on throwing glances at her, thinking she was crazy or something along those lines.

"So, Miss Marin, why do you think Shakespeare made a twist plot towards the end?" Mr Fitz asked Hanna.

"Um…" To be entirely honest, Hanna didn't have a clue of what he was talking about. She had heard about Shakespeare somewhere, but she didn't really know who he was. Just then, she remembered what Caleb had said the night before, when she was watching the film.

"To make sure it's not boring and predictable," Hanna answered blankly.

"Interesting opinion," Mr Fitz seemed to have swallowed the bait. Hanna let out a sigh of relief and went back into dreamland.

* * *

Aria made sure that she packed her bag really slowly in order to catch a quick minute or two with Ezra.

"Miss Montgomery, you're taking awfully long to put _one_ book into a bag…" Ezra teased his petite girlfriend.

"Save it, Mr Fitz, everyone knows you want me in your presence," Aria teased back.

"That is a little too true. Anyways what did you want to talk about?" Ezra asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Can I cook for you tonight?" she asked, putting her pen in her bag.

"Sure," Ezra said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Great, I'll probably be in your apartment before you get there… See you later," Aria said, smiling at him and getting up from her chair.

"Super. Love you," Ezra whispered as he went to the back of the classroom to hang something up.

* * *

School was out and Emily was doing project research for a Sex Ed class that was due in three days. The topic was on the 'LGBT' community. Most of the other people in her class thought it was a total waste of time, learning about sexuality and all, but Emily found it rather interesting.

"Okay, LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender… interesting…" Emily muttered to herself as her brain processed it. It was only then when a thought hit her – what if _she_ wasn't really into boys? No, but surely, she would have already figured it out by now? Emily closed her laptop and lay facing the ceiling on her bed. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She thought about Ben. And her feelings towards him. Her mind then proceeded to Maya. And her feelings towards _her_. She compared the two, but nothing seemed to make sense. She was confused and irritated, not with herself, but with herself. Wait, did that even make sense? Emily decided that she would continue her project later on and went downstairs to grab a snack.

As she headed back upstairs, she heard a knock on the door. Frustrated with all the confusion in her life and school, she opened the door rather abruptly, with a straight face.

She felt instant lips on hers.

* * *

**_A/N: Dear 'MayDay97', you left a review saying, _**_"I'm sorry but Hannah's idea is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard. Why would someone want to be pregnant at their age? It's just ridiculous."__**  
Yes, they're really young, but firstly, it's a story, which means it is fiction – none of this happened in real life! And secondly, it's called a Pregnancy Pact for a reason :P No one forces you to read my stories ;) But thanks for the criticism :D (I'm not being sarcastic.)**_

**_Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows!_**


	4. Chapter 4: Confessions

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

As the swimmer made her way back upstairs, she heard a knock on the door. Frustrated with all the confusion in her life and school, she opened the door rather abruptly, with a straight face. She felt instant lips on hers.

Emily was pushed to the wall by goodness-knows-who. After a few seconds, she finally managed to throw the person off of her.

"Ben!? What are you doing here?" Emily shouted, on the verge of tears.

"I missed you…" Bed pouted and tried to kiss her again.

"No." Emily sounded harsher than she meant to.

"Babe, what's wrong? You've been treating me like your pinata for the last week! Rejecting my calls, making up excuses every time I ask if you're free - honestly, what's going on?" Ben trailed off, angrily looking into Emily's eyes. She tried her best to _avoid_ his eyes.

"Ben, I-"

"No, get straight to the point, Emily Fields, and don't try to lie." He sounded pissed off, but Emily knew he wouldn't hurt her physically, like hit her or something… or would he? She took her chances.

"Well you're not helping me get there, are you?" she questioned.

"Emily… please…" Ben once again tried to look into her eyes. She refused.

"Ben… I… I can't do this. Not anymore…" Emily said, pushing past him, running a hand through her hair and walking towards the kitchen island.

"What? But why? Two weeks ago, you were all happy…" Ben said, sounding somewhat a mixture of frustration, confusion and hurt.

"That was two weeks ago. Many things can change in fourteen days, Ben," Emily said, finally looking at him to make sure he understood that she was serious.

"But you promised me s-"

"Oh, that's all you ignorant boys think about, isn't it? It's all about sex - sex today, sex tomorrow, sex the next day. Sex, sex, sex!" Emily screamed and ran her hand through her hair again. "But I can't do this. Not right now. Please, Ben, leave. It would make life easier for the both of us," Emily said, walking over to the door and opening it.

"So we're through," Ben said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"For the time being, yes," Emily sighed and closed the door after him. She went back upstairs and sat on her bed, her project long forgotten. There, she'd done it now, she'd done it – she'd broken up with Ben.

* * *

Spencer's cheeks were wet with tears and more rolled down continuously.

_Hey Spence,_

_Whatcha think Toby and your parents will say when they find out about your little secret?_

_XOXO_

_-A_

She held the letter tight in her hand, her knuckles white. How did '-A' find out? Wait, that was a stupid question… '-A' was _always_ one step ahead of them, in this case, her.

Spencer grabbed her car keys that sat on the kitchen island and made her way to her car. She hopped in and started the engine.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Spencer said, as she hugged Toby as if she was going into exile. Toby had just opened his front door and Spencer had burst into tears, hugging the life out of him.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Spence, it's all okay." Toby tried his best to hush his crying girlfriend. He slowly guided her into the living room and sat her on the couch. Spencer curled up into a ball, with her face down in her arms.

"Spence?" Toby softly said.

She replied by sniffing.

"What's the matter, huh?" Toby said softly.

"I-I-…" Spencer kept on crying and sniffing.

"Shh, shh… C'mon, you gotta tell me what this is about," Toby said once again.

"You're gonna hate me. You're gonna hate me," Spencer looked into his eyes but looked away again.

"Spencer Hastings, I could _never_ hate you," Toby said sternly, holding Spencer's chin up so he could look into her eyes. He embraced her, holding her tight.

"I… I'm… I'm pregnant," Spencer said, just audible as she started crying again.

For what seemed like an eternity, Toby froze. He didn't move.

"Toby?" Spencer pulled away from the hug and looked at him. His face was emotionless.

"Look, I know that this is-" Toby cut Spencer off with a kiss.

"You're gonna be a great mom, Spencer, One like I didn't have."

* * *

As promised, Aria was in Ezra's apartment, cooking dinner for the two of them. As she finished laying her last touches, the apartment door opened, revealing Ezra in a suit.

"Welcome home, honey," Aria said, in a flirty tone as she walked up to him, pecking his cheek. Ezra grinned and hung his blazer up.

"Smells so good," he muttered, smiling from ear to ear.

"Only the best for you," Aria whispered in his ear.

* * *

**_A month later_**

"Breakfast, Hanna!" Mrs. Marin called her daughter. "You're gonna be later for school!"

Hanna was still in bed, and she was in a grumpy mood. The bed felt too hard, and the pillow, too lumpy.

"I'm coming!" she called to her mother and dragged herself out of bed.

As Hanna walked into the kitchen, she felt nauseous.

"Urg, Mom, when's the last time you emptied the trash can?" she asked, holding her nose and frowning.

"Last night. And... nothing's in it…" Ashley said, checking the trash can. "Why?"

Hanna let go of her nose, and in an instant, last night's dinner was on its way back up. She ran for her bathroom, bolted the door, and threw up in the toilet just in time.

For the next five minutes, she puked her guts out.

"Freaking _disgusting_," Hanna said, wiping her mouth and staring into the toilet. She flushed it and proceeded to cleaning her teeth. Just then, Ashley came in.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Um… yea, Mom, I'm fine… dunno what happened there…" Hanna said, while brushing her teeth.

"Okay. But I need to get to work. Oh, by the way, your breakfast is still on the table, okay?" Ashley quickly glanced at her daughter who nodded. "Bye sweetheart, love you."

Hanna finished cleaning her teeth and went back to the dining table. There sat a plate of macaroni cheese, in its usual golden brown colour. Hanna's guts felt like they were going to turn over again. She scrunched up her nose, took the plate and dunked the food into the garbage, setting the plate in the sink before heading upstairs again to get ready for school.

* * *

**_Lunch break, Rosewood High_**

"Ug Spence, get that away," Hanna said, turning her face away.

"Get what away from who?" Spencer asked, greedily munching on her cheese burger.

"That!" Hanna pointed to the burger, covering her nose and mouth. "Doesn't it smell bad?" she asked, keeping her distance from it.

"Nope. As good as new to me," Spencer said, popping the last bite of it into her mouth.

"Gross."

* * *

Aria sat at the dinner table, picking at her food. She didn't really feel like eating _this_. At the moment, she craved… a croissant. A chocolate covered croissant.

"Aria, honey, what's the matter?" Ella asked her daughter, genuinely concerned.

"Uh, nothing, Mom… It's just that the girls and I had a late lunch at school… May I be excused?" Aria asked, raising her eyebrows – her signature move.

"Um sure, honey." Ella gave a questioning look at her husband, but he just shrugged.

In her bedroom, Aria's mind took her back to a conversation that she had had with the other girls, about a month ago.

_"And what exactly are you suggesting?" Aria asked, irritated._

_"We could also fall pregnant, duh…" Hanna said, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_"Wha-… Hey… Hanna, that's the first time you've said anything smart…" Aria said, staring at Hanna._

_"Hey-" Hanna tried to argue with Aria's statement, but Spencer cut in._

_"No. Absolutely not. I'm not having you guys ruin your lives for me," Spencer said, shaking her head so hard that it looked as if it would fall off._

_"Spencer, you don't have a say in this. It's our choice and we'll decide," Hanna said, dismissing the fact that Spencer was even there. Her mind was already made up – she accidentally told the other two girls, so she was going to do whatever it took to help Spencer._

_ "But-" Spencer started._

_"No buts. If we decide to do this, we'll decide. So, Aria? Emily?" Hanna asked seriously. _

_"Yea. Of course." Aria replied without hesitating._

This was, of course, long forgotten now, and Aria wondered if Hanna would still be eager… She decided to finish her homework and call it an early evening. My, my, she was tired…


	5. Chapter 5: A Secret Not So Safe

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL nor the songs mentioned

* * *

_Aria, why are you so into older 'boys'? But your secret's safe with me! _

_Xoxo_

_ -A_

Aria was shaking as she read it. In fact, her hand was shaking so badly that when she tried to read it a second time, the words seemed a blur.

It was just before lunch at school, and she had opened her locker, to find… this…

Aria slowly walked back to class – English.

She _knew_ 'A' would rat her out, and her heart was jumping. Beating _so_ fast. She felt dizzy all of a sudden. She quickly put her hand on the nearest locker, leaning against it, trying to steady herself. She took deep breaths, in and out, for a few minutes until the dizziness passed and she could walk again.

* * *

"Aria, you coming or not?" Hanna asked Aria rather rudely.

"What's up with you, Han?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing… I'm just tired… and damn hungry…" Hanna muttered, yawning, as if to prove her point.

"Uh, guys, could you give me a minute to ask E- I mean, Mr Fitz a question?" Aria caught her tongue at the last moment. It was close, too close, if you asked her.

"Um, sure… We'll be by the cafeteria," Emily said, turning around and heading for the door. The other two girls followed.

_Emily hasn't spoken in a long time_, Aria thought to herself. Only when she saw the back of Spencer's head disappear, did she turn around and looked at Ezra, who was sitting at his desk.

"I can't," Aria said aloud. Specifically, to _him_.

"Excuse me, Miss Mon-… Aria?" Ezra looked up from his marking.

"I can't," Aria repeated. Were those tears in her eyes?

"Can't what, Aria?" Ezra started tapping his red pen. Aria understood perfectly what all those 'signs' meant. This time, he was nervous. She could tell.

"This. Everything." Aria tried to blink away her tears.

* * *

Emily could feel herself pushing away her loved ones, further and further each day. She sat on her bed, frowning, thinking deeply. _She had broken up with Ben_, which had made her heart a little lighter, but she still felt… so _empty_… like something was missing from her life… she _knew_ she had feelings for someone, she just couldn't clarify who…

All the thinking was making Emily's head want to explode, so she decided to take a jog – it always helped her clear her mind.

"I'm going out for a jog, Mom!" Emily shouted, to nowhere particularly, while filling up a suitable running bottle. She closed the tap and headed out.

Emily had just gotten into her pace when she saw a familiar car parked. She pulled out her earphones, which had been playing 'Sad Song' by 'Blake Lewis'.

"Aria?" Emily walked towards the car. The tiny figure looked up at her, from the driver's seat. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were blotchy from crying, as Emily assumed.

"Emily! Wha-what are y-you doing h-here?" Aria stuttered, eyes full of tears, sniffing in.

"Jogging. Why are _you_ here, crying?" Emily frowned.

"I… I…" Aria had burst into tears. Emily opened the car door and tried to help Aria out.

"No, let go," Aria protested, tugging at her arm for Emily to let go.

"Then sit in the back seat?" Emily asked. Aria nodded in agreement. She got out the front and proceeded to sit in the back seat, while Emily went around the car to get in too.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" The athlete asked the brunette.

"Emily, why did I agree?" Aria sniffed sympathetically.

"What do you mean-... Oh no… you aren't… no, Aria…" Emily trailed off. Internally, her chin was practically hitting the floor.

Aria just cried harder.

"Aw, Aria… I'm sorry... you'll be alright…" Emily gave her friend a hug, her problems forgotten for the time being. All she felt for was Aria, and how devastated she was.

"No, Em. Everything's gonna be different." Aria muttered into Emily's shoulder.

"When did you find out, Ari?" she asked.

"A couple of minutes before you came by. I took the tests in the restaurant. Home was too risky." Aria pulled out of the embrace and tried to wipe her eyes.

"You'll make the mascara go into your eyes," Emily said, catching Aria's arm in mid and holding her hand. Don't get this wrong – Emily did _not_ have romantic feelings towards Aria. Right now, she was being a sister to Aria, one like she never had.

"Thanks, Em. You really mean a lot in my life, you really do," Aria said, hugging Emily again.

* * *

Emily had driven Aria back to her house and had taken her tired friend upstairs.

"You gotta tell the baby's father," Emily said to Aria, who had her head in Emily's lap. Emily felt Aria's breathing suddenly get faster.

"Aria? Are you alright?" Emily asked, genuinely concerned.

"Em…" Aria said, sitting up and looking into Emily's eyes. Aria's face was still blotchy from crying twenty minutes ago.

"Aria… who _is_ the father?" Emily asked Aria in a low tone. Emily somehow got an unknown feeling that she didn't want to know.

"About that…" Aria trailed off. She got off the bed and walked to Emily's window couch. "Hey, has that fence always been there?" she asked.

"Aria Montgomery, stop trying to change the subject!" Emily warned in a stern voice. "Who _is_ the baby's father?"

Emily didn't get a speedy response.

"Don't give me silence. Is… is the baby's father an anonymous? You were just playing around?" Emily said slowly.

"No! Em, what do you take me as? A slut?" Aria looked like she was on the verge of tears again.

"N-no… Aria, you know that's not what I meant…" Emily began talking fast, trying to correct her mistake.

"Really? Because that's _exactly_ what it sounds like," Aria said, grabbing her purse, ready to storm out. Emily quickly stood up and went to stand by the door, blocking Aria's only exit.

"Aria, you can't run from it forever. Please, I'm trying to help…" Emily said softly towards the deeply hurt brunette.

Aria sighed before mumbling. "I know," she said quietly.

* * *

Once again, Aria was sitting with her head in Emily's lap. Emily had decided to let Aria take a break before asking her questions again.

"Aria-"

"No, please don't," Aria cut Emily off in a small voice.

"Okay…" Emily trailed off, playing with Aria's hair, absent mindedly.

There was silence for a minute or two before Emily decided it was time to break it.

"It's over with Ben," she said, looking away from Aria.

"What?" Aria asked, trying to sit up. Emily pushed her back down, gently.

"Yea. We ended it a few weeks ago," Emily said, shrugging.

"Aw, Em, I'm so sorry," Aria said, taking Emily's hands in hers.

"Surprisingly, I'm not too depressed over it…" Emily muttered mainly to herself.

"Ezra," Aria suddenly said.

"Hm?" Emily asked, but her mind was on Ben… and the _other_ one…

"Em… you can't tell anyone." Aria gulped. Emily shook herself out of her daydream and focused her eyes on Aria, who looked like a sick puppy dog, about to be put down.

"Aria… you know you can trust me," Emily said, softly, wiping Aria's tears.

"Ezra is the baby's dad," Aria said, but this time, she wasn't crying. Maybe she had run out of tears…

"Aria…" Emily said, not believing her ears. First, Aria, little Aria, pregnant, then the baby's dad is _Ezra_? Ezra _Fitz_? The _English_ teacher?

"Em…" Aria said pleadingly, sniffing.

* * *

**_Lunch, Rosewood High_**

"As in 'The Ezra'?" Spencer asked, shocked.

"As in Ezra _Fitz_?" Hanna gasped.

"Guys, how many more 'Ezra's do we know?" A frustrated Aria rolled her eyes. She wasn't ready to answer all the questions she knew were coming. She couldn't even answer Emily yesterday.

"Wait, Em, how come you don't look shocked by this?" Spencer had picked up on the tension between Emily and Aria.

"I… Um… I sort of know this piece of information… and the next too…" Emily muttered the last part under her breath.

"Wait, what?! Aria?! Why?!" Spencer asked Aria, confused.

"She… it happened… She sort of spotted me yesterday right after I took the test when I was crying… I couldn't lie…" Aria trailed off, awkwardly playing with her fingers. After all, it wasn't every day that you told your friends you were _pregnant_, at seventeen…

"But I thought we were team Sparia…" Spencer pouted.

"W-we are… it's just, some things, you can't hide from someone…" Aria trailed off once again.

"When are you planning to tell him?" Hanna asked, stuffing a forkful of salad in her mouth.

"I… I dunno… how will I even bring it up?" Aria whispered, but all three friends heard what she had said.

"Aw, Aria… you know we'll always be here for you…" Emily and Spencer said both in unison, while Hanna nodded, her mouth full of food.

"Thanks guys, it really means a lot," Aria said, smiling at her friends.

* * *

"Please… p-please don't be mad…" Aria was bawling her eyes out and Ezra truly was terrified. He was trying to comfort the small brunette in all ways he could, but none seemed to work. They were sitting on his couch, Aria's head in between Ezra's shoulder and neck – the very position they sat in, when Aria told him about 'The Jenna Thing'.

"Shh, shh, Aria, everything's alright. I could _never_ be mad at you," Ezra said into Aria's hair, kissing her temple.

"No… you-you don't understand…" Aria sniffed, breathing in deeply, and exhaling in fast, short, broken breaths.

"Pookie Bear… then _help_ me understand… Maybe you could start by explaining what you've been trying to say to me for the past _two_ _hours_?" Ezra practically begged his girlfriend.

"I… You're gonna _hate_ me for this. So much," Aria swallowed air.

"I could _never_ hate you, Aria. _Never_."

Although for a fraction of a second, Ezra thought that she was going to say that she cheated on him, but he decided not to jump to conclusions. But this – this, he did not see coming.

"I'm pregnant," Aria mumbled.

"Aria… what's wrong?" Ezra asked again, choosing to ignore, or at least try to convince himself that he hadn't heard what she had just said.

"No, really, Ezra. I'm pregnant… with your child…" Aria didn't look up at him. _He_ felt _himself_ tense up. Suddenly, breathing in air was hard. His heart felt like ice. He couldn't find a response for her. He had thought it was some teenager problems, like failing the semester, or friends being nasty… but… but _pregnancy_…? No… this was something _completely_ unexpected… At that moment, his body acted without his brain's orders. Ezra got up from his position, causing Aria to nearly fall over. He walked to the door and walked out. Just like that – walked out. He heard a faint, "Ezra!" coming from his apartment, but he kept on walking. Walking where? Walking nowhere. Nothing was happening, but something was happening. What?


	6. Chapter 6: So Close

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

Ezra was standing outside his apartment building, staring at the park ahead of him. There were a thousand things running through his mind… Wait, what had he just done? Had he just _left_ his _pregnant_ _girlfriend_ alone? Had he just walked _out_ on her? Had he just- … Gosh, he was such an _idiot_! As much as he wanted to go back into his apartment, hold Aria in his arms, and tell her _everything_ was going to be alright, that he'd _always_ be here for her, his feet were _rooted_ to the spot. They _refused_ to move an inch. Was this it? Had he screwed it up? Was this the ultimate blow to their 'already-complicated-teacher-student' relationship? He sighed as he sat on the spot, the cold ground beneath him.

He had been sitting like that for about 5 minutes when he felt a light tap on his shoulder, followed by an angry face looking at him.

"Miss Marin?" Ezra questioned.

"It's Hanna. What the hell just happened?" The blond stood there, looking down at her English teacher, arms crossed.

"Miss Marin, you cannot talk that way-"

"Save it, _Ezra_. I know about you and Aria. But answer my question – what the _hell_ just happened? And where is Aria?" Hanna looked and sounded _really_ mad.

Ezra gasped as he heard that she knew about him and Aria – they had sworn to each other not to say anything about their relationship to other people. But if Hanna knew about this, them, she would probably know about the pregnancy too… A wave of anger washed through Ezra's body as he stood up, realising those things.

"Who else knows?" Ezra asked rather harshly.

"Hm, let's see, myself, Spencer and Emily. Duh?" Hana replied as she pulled her phone out.

"When did she tell you?" Ezra asked, looking right at Hanna.

"This morning. I _know_ she walked into your apartment. You walked out like 2 and a half hours later. I _know_ she broke the news to you. Why are you out here and _not_ with her?" Hanna jabbed her finger into Ezra's chest. Ezra, not expecting the blond to be so strong, stumbled back.

"I… Wait, have you been stalking her? Us?" Ezra asked, rather taken back.

"Yes. Yes I have been. Because I _know_ guys. This is what they do _all_ the time." Hanna rolled her eyes, as if refusing to believe what she had just said.

"Well it's not every day that your girlfriend tells you that she's _pregnant_! With _your_ child!" Ezra shouted at Hanna.

"Well it's not every day that you find out that you're _pregnant_! At _seventeen_!" Hanna shouted back, nearly spitting in Ezra's face.

As Ezra heard this, a wave of guilt crashed over him. _How could he have been so stupid? _Yes, he was surprised, but if he put himself in _Aria's shoes_? In _poor Aria's shoes_? No. it wasn't fair for her. He had to get back up there.

"Hanna, I have to get to Aria." Ezra suddenly said, ready to race a marathon runner.

"Oh, you finally realised…" Hanna said, thick on sarcasm, fake yawning. "Oh, and if you hurt Aria, I _will_ destroy you, Ezra _Fitz_. I will."

"Thank-you for making me realise things," Ezra said, not looking back and rushing to his apartment. In his mind, though, he knew that he had made a _huge_ mistake in walking out on Aria a few minutes ago, and that _everything_ could have changed.

* * *

Hanna got back into her car. She had watched Aria walk in, and Mr Fitz walk out about two and a half hours later. She then knew that Aria had told him everything. She had watched to see if he would walk back in after a few minutes, but he plopped on the ground. She had gotten out of her car and had given him a nasty lecture then. To be honest, calling 'Mr Fitz' 'Ezra' wasn't the easiest thing, but she had to do it. For _her_. For Aria.

As she thought these things through, a tear or two slipped down her cheeks and fell onto the steering wheel. There was a _real_ reason why she was here. Her _real_ intention _wasn't_ to watch Aria. It was to… to take a couple of _pregnancy_ _tests_. No, not in her car, don't be silly. She had taken them at an adjacent restaurant, and had walked out feeling numb and un-understandable. She had gotten back into her car, and only then, had she seen Aria, wondering by _his_ apartment. She had decided to sit and watch, since she didn't want to go back home.

Hanna wiped her eyes and sniffed in. Yes, the tests had all been positive – at least she know had an explanation for why she had been eating so much for the past couple weeks… _How was her mother going to take the news? Hadn't she always warned Hanna not to get pregnant? To have safe sex if was going to have it? What would Caleb do?_ Hanna heavily sighed and started her car, to drive home. After all, you couldn't run _forever_…

* * *

As Ezra breathlessly opened his apartment door, he got a strange feeling. A feeling to strange for his liking.

"Aria?" he called.

_No answer._

"Aria?" he called again.

_Still, no answer._

Panicking, Ezra walked right past his couch and went to check the bathroom. There, with the door wide open, was no-one.

Ezra backed out of his bathroom and went back to the couch. As he looked down, he nearly screamed.

There lay Aria, _passed out_.

In shock, Ezra didn't move for a good few seconds. When his brain finally processed what was going on, he immediately crouched down and quickly checked for her pulse –no pulse. No pulse?! Not knowing what to do next, he hastily pulled his phone out, dropping it. He growled in frustration and picked it up, but he soon realised that it wasn't going to help him. He then carried the small brunette out of his apartment and put her in the back seat of his car, as he jumped into the driver's seat and started driving to the hospital.

* * *

**_Hospital, ER_**

Ezra parked randomly in front of the Emergency Room entrance and got out of his seat. Two doctors ran to him with a stretcher.

"Sir?" one asked, while positioning Aria on the stretcher.

"I don't know. I went back into my house and she was there, on the floor," Ezra said, on the verge of crying. One of the doctors felt for Aria's pulse.

"No pulse," she murmured to her partner. "Wait… very, _very_ feint pulse."

"And what relation does she have with you?" The doctor who spoke to him earlier asked him. Ezra hesitated here – what was he supposed to say?

"Sister," he blurted out, immediately regretting it. Now, there would be questions he wouldn't be able to answer for sure.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"Seventeen." Ezra replied.

"And you, sir?"

"Twenty-five." Ezra replied.

By now, the two doctors and Ezra were inside the hospital building, running through the passageways.

"Seventeen, female, very feint pulse. Legal guardian present!" The female doctor shouted, to nowhere, or at least, that's what Ezra thought. But as she finished her sentence, two nurses started running with them, and another shouting, "Room 164!"

* * *

"Yes, but she will be fine. We did some quick check-ups on her, and it turns out that she just couldn't breathe properly. Lack of oxygen. Tell me, does your sister have any sort of disorder?" A doctor, Doctor Brandt, asked Ezra.

"She has anxiety," Ezra nervously said.

"Thank you," the doctor muttered, writing something down on his clipboard. "She should be awake within the hour."

A thousand things were racing through Ezra's mind. He would be a dad. His age wasn't exactly the problem, everything else was. Oh, you want a list of the problems?... Too many… rather ask a list for what _wasn't_ a problem… He had knocked up a minor – and as if that wasn't enough, she was his _student_. He knew that her parents didn't know anything, and what would Byron say? Yes, Byron did like him, but who are we kidding? Ezra had just made his daughter fall _pregnant_. Just then, he heard a groan. He snapped his head around – Aria had her eyes open. He could tell she was confused and scared.

"Aria?" he said softly. Aria took one look at him and immediately looked away, into the nothingness.

"Aria, please, hear me out. I'm _so_ sorry. I know I shouldn't have walked out on you. I am so, truly sorry," Ezra said genuinely. He heard sniffing, which indicated that she was crying.

"What happened?" Aria asked, avoiding Ezra's pleas. She still didn't look at him. "What happened to me?"

"You… um…" Ezra didn't know what to say.

"Ezra, please. What happened?" Aria asked once again.

"You were passed out when I came back into the apartment," Ezra said blankly.

"Oh." It was all he got from her.

Just then, Dr Brandt came in.

"Aria Fitz, seventeen, correct?" he asked, scribbling something down on his clipboard. Ezra's heart sank. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Aria about how he had checked her in.

"Fitz? Um…" Aria quickly glanced at Ezra, before finishing her sentence. "Yes, that would be me."

"You and your baby just had a shock. You are both alright. I assume you know you're pregnant?" The doctor asked.

"Yes. Yes sir," Aria said, before looking at Ezra again. He looked so guilty.

"Would you like me to call your parents and let them know about this?" he asked.

"No!" Ezra and Aria both said loudly. The doctor gave a chuckle.

"Okay. I will leave you to rest for a couple of hours; you can be discharged this evening." Dr Brandt walked out.

"I can explain."

"I need explanations."

They both said at the same time. Ezra gave Aria a brief smile.

"I didn't know what to do. If I said you weren't my sister or something, they would have had to call your parents, which would result in them finding out about the baby," Ezra softly said, walking towards her bed.

"Stay away from me," Aria said, tears in her eyes.

"Aria, please don't push me away," Ezra pleaded her.

"Me?! Push _you_ away?!" Aria exclaimed angrily.

"Why wasn't I the first to know about your pregnancy?" Ezra shot back.

"Why? Why! Because I was _scared_. Scared that you'd _leave_ me. And I wasn't wrong much, was I?" Aria hissed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Aria… I would _never_ leave you. And I'm _so_ sorry for the way I reacted back there. I… I just couldn't believe it…" Ezra now sat on the edge of her bed. Aria shifted herself away from him. "Aria… please…"

"Ezra… I… I need time. W-who knows what e-else you would d-do because _'you can't believe it'_?" Aria said, stuttering every now and then.

Aria's words stung Ezra. It was painful to hear her say those words. Too painful. But he knew that he deserved them.

He was _So Close_ to getting her back.

* * *

_Hanna: Please come over. I need to talk to you._

_Caleb: No emoticons… No exclamation marks… Using 'please'… This can't be good…_

_Hanna: Caleb, I'm serious._

_Caleb: Uh-oh… u said my name… not good, not good… I'll be right over._

Hanna sighed and threw her phone down on her bed. She was Hanna Marin: nothing should scare her… well, apart from 'A', of course… But this – breaking _the news _to Caleb Rivers – just the thought made her chill to the bones.

A few minutes had gone by, and she heard a knock on her open door.

"At your service, Madam," Caleb said, a smile on his face.

"H-hey," Hanna said, walking up to hug him.

"Hanna? What's wrong?" Caleb asked, returning the embrace.

"How do you know something's wrong?" Hanna asked, irritated. No-one could pick up on her moods, except for this… shaggy haired boy.

"Hanna, you're my _girlfriend_. I know some things about you that _you_ don't even know," he laughed. Hanna hated the fact that he could do this. "But seriously, what's up?"

"I'm pregnant." Hanna decided that she was going to say this boldly. And she did…

"Oh… um… okay?" Caleb answered. Hanna felt him tense up.

"Seriously, Caleb?! I just told you I'm _pregnant_, and all you say is 'okay'?" Hanna exclaimed, mad.

"Well what do you expect me to say?" Caleb shouted back. Hanna could feel tears threatening to flow.

"Forget it. Just go," Hanna said, pushing him out the door and closing it in his face.

"I will." Was what she heard on the other side of the door.

Hanna slipped down the door and started crying, silently.

_Boys, are __all__ the same._

* * *

**_A/N: I am aware the way Caleb acted in this chapter is unlike his character. Nonetheless, this part was essential for the plot of the story._**

**_-He0524_**


	7. Chapter 7: Official

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_**A week later**_

Hanna angrily threw her phone onto the couch as she walked into the living room. She had been trying to call Caleb for a full week now, but he wasn't picking up, and the fact that she was pregnant didn't really help either. Her hormones were all over the place, and emotionally, she was in chaos.

_Hanna: Caleb, please stop avoiding me, and PICK UP._

She sent him a text.

_No reply._

She sighed in frustration and went to her room, where Emily, Spencer and Aria were staring at her as if she was crazy.

"What?" Hanna looked at them, throwing her arms out.

"Are you okay? You've been so tense and irritable lately," Spencer asked, slowly getting off Hanna's bed.

Hanna remained silent.

"Hanna?" Emily asked.

"Spence, I don't think she's okay…" Aria said, nudging Spencer.

"I'm right here, you know," Hanna said to Aria.

"Sorry… what's bothering you, Han?" Aria asked.

"Nothing… nothing, I'm fine… really…" Hanna trailed off, frowning and biting her lip – a habit that she had and tended to do whenever things _weren't_ alright. "I… I'm just pregnant."

"What?" The three brunettes said in unison.

"I am _pregnant_. Like Aria and Spencer," Hanna said, shrugging. She felt so empty, and nothing she did seemed to fix that.

"Oh…" It was all Spencer could manage.

"Hey, I kept my promise," Hanna said to Spencer, smiling slightly to try lighten the mood.

* * *

**_English, Rosewood High_**

"Aria Montgomery to please report to Mr Fitz's classroom. Aria Montgomery, thank-you."

Aria groaned as she heard the announcement. She had been avoiding Ezra all week – entering his classroom with all three friends by her side when she had English, and _bolting_ out the door the moment the bell signaled the end of the lesson. Ezra had given her space and time. She needed _more_. But she decided to give him a chance. To see what he was going to say.

Aria changed directions and headed towards the English classroom, where her _teacher_ awaited.

"Aria!" Ezra sighed a sigh of relief. Aria closed the door behind her and just stood there, not moving any closer to _him_.

"You called me here, sir?" she asked, _hoping_ it was a 'teacher-to-student' talk. Not more, not less.

"Aria, please." Ezra didn't _dare_ move any closer to her. He knew her _too_ well to push his boundaries.

"Ezra… I… I don't know what to do anymore. I don't." Aria tried not to look emotional. Not here, not at school. She knew just talking to Ezra at school, _alone_, was a _huge_ risk.

"What do you mean, Aria? I've given you time and space." Ezra asked her, afraid of what her answer would be.

"Ezra, you've gotta be patient with me here," Aria said, using hand gestures to try 'emphasise' her point.

"I've been _nothing_ but patient! _Nothing_!" Ezra exclaimed. Aria's eyes welled up with tears. She started to walk very slowly towards him while she lectured him. Lectured him with painful memories of the past.

"Well I don't know what you expect me to say here, Ezra, I don't. _You're the one who_ walked out on me when I told you I was pregnant. _You're the one who_ ignored me when I called out for you at your apartment. _You're the one who_-" Ezra cut her off. He took his chances.

He _kissed_ her.

Aria immediately broke the kiss – not a good sign.

"Can I come over tonight?" Aria asked, looking away from Ezra. Ezra's brain didn't immediately process what she was asking.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Can I come over tonight? To talk things through…" Aria asked again, her hand, resting on the door handle.

"Yes! Of course!" Ezra responded immediately this time.

"I'll see you then."

* * *

Hanna was leaning against Caleb's locker, waiting for him.

"Why?" she asked immediately when she saw him. Caleb jumped, obviously not expecting her to be there. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I-I'm not avoiding you… who says I was?" Caleb asked, not keeping eye contact.

"Caleb, you haven't been answering my calls _and_ texts, and whenever I enter a class that I have with you, you sit on the opposite side of the classroom! Now I'm not very good at English, but I'm sure that _all_ of the above fit the definition of 'avoid'!" Hanna was on the verge of tears.

Caleb looked around the hallway – it was clear. He then took Hanna's wrist and took her into the Janitor's Closet.

"What the hell?" Hanna asked angrily, rubbing her wrist.

"Listen, Hanna, I-"

"No. _You_ listen. You've been avoiding me ever since I told you I was pregnant, and then you ignore all my texts and calls? Are you that much of a coward to just say it to my face?" Hanna angrily exclaimed, repositioning her bag on her right shoulder.

"You know what? I was. I was too much of a coward," Caleb said, running his hand through his hair.

"So what are you saying?" Hanna asked, calming down a little.

"I-I can't do this anymore. I… I just can't." Caleb sounded so confused and regretful.

"What are you trying to say to me, Caleb?" Hanna made sure every one of her words sounded even and firm.

"Hanna, I… I-I'm breaking up with you. That's what I'm doing." Without another word, Caleb turned and walked out the door.

Hanna just stood there, in that position for what seemed an eternity before plopping down on the ground. She didn't cry. She _laughed_. Laughed _so_ hysterically that even she herself thought she had eventually lost it.

She laughed at the facts.

The promise she made to Spencer – why was she so _dumb_? _Why_ did she do it? Didn't she know that she was practically _throwing_ her life away? But now, it was too late. _Far_ too late. This was one of those mistakes that could _not be undone_.

Hanna took _the thing_ out of her bag. She knew it was a _terrible_ thing to do, but whatever. She didn't care anymore. No, she didn't.

* * *

"Hey, where's Hanna?" Aria asked Emily as Emily walked out of Chemistry.

"Huh? Hanna doesn't have Chemistry with me… She has Art with you…" Emily said, sounding confused.

"Oh… She's probably at the mall or something…" Aria shrugged and started walking, with Emily alongside her.

"Hey guys. Have either of you seen Hanna today? I mean, she was with me in History earlier this morning… but now she's nowhere…" Spencer, who had just had gym class, had caught up with the two.

"We were just about to ask the same thing…" Aria said to Spencer, shaking her head.

"Oh… Anyways, how do you guys feel about the PowerPoint Presentation for Sex Ed today?" Spencer asked. She _obviously_ sounded excited.

"Nervous."

"Awkward."

Aria and Emily both said at the same time. Spencer gave a light chuckle.

"Speaking of the presentation, my flash-drive's in my locker. Walk me there?" Aria asked her friends.

"Mines in mine too," Spencer said, nodding.

"I need to get my books anyway," said Emily.

"Hey Aria, can you please hold this for me- Oh, nevermind," Spencer said, turning round to look at Aria, who had literally climbed in her own locker, looking for her flash-stick. She turned her head to look at Emily, but she was stuffing her bag with books for the next lessons. Spencer rolled her eyes and put her flash-drive on top of her locker, before unpacking her bag with the books from the lessons before gym and re-packing it with different books.

Just then, a boy riding a skateboard that was now out of control crashed into the locker right next to Spencer's, making the lockers rock back and forth.

"Sorry," the boy apologised, before getting back on his wooden entertainment and skating away.

"Boys…" Spencer muttered under her breath, zipping her bag and closing her locker's door. She turned to look at Aria and Emily, and realised that they were waiting for her.

"Oh, sorry guys," Spencer said, her hand reaching for the USB stick that she had placed on top of the lockers earlier.

"No problem," Aria said. "I'm gonna try text Hanna. I don't feel safe for her, especially now that she's pregnant too."

Spencer's hand kept fumbling for the little device that she _knew_ was somewhere here.

"Help?" Emily offered, being the taller one.

"Yes please," Spencer said, stepping aside for the taller brunette.

"Um, Spence, it's not here," Emily said, standing on her tippy toes and looking at the top of the lockers.

"Huh? It should be… I left it there a couple of seconds ago…" Emily could see the anxiety in Spencer's eyes.

"Calm down, we'll find it." Emily gave a light chuckle and stood on her tippy toes once again.

"No-one could have taken it… unless… oh, that _idiot_!" Spencer suddenly said, running the end of the lockers. She stuck her head to the wall, trying to get a view of what was _behind_ the lockers.

"Oh," Emily said, nodding her head as she understood what Spencer was talking about. When the lockers rocked because of the crash from the boy, Spencer's USB had fallen to the other side.

"I'll go get a broom," Aria said, laughing at Spencer's facial expression.

"Where are you going to get a _broom_?" Emily raised her eyebrows.

"Janitor's Closet, duh!" Aria shouted over her shoulder, before disappearing out of sight.

* * *

Hanna had _it_ in her hand. She had slouched down, leaning on one of the walls of the room, legs straight out in front of her. Just as she raised _it_ again, the door burst open, revealing a giggly Aria, looking down at her phone.

"Oh my gosh!" Aria screamed when she saw Hanna.

"Oh hey, Aria," Hanna said, smiling a little.

"Hanna!? What are you doing?" Aria questioned, immediately crouching down by Hanna and taking _it_ away.

"Hey, give that back!" Hanna exclaimed, making a reach for it.

"Hanna? What's wrong? Why are you doing this?" Aria asked, her eyes, forming tears.


	8. Chapter 8: Reunited

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

"Hanna? What's wrong? Why are you doing this?" Aria asked, her eyes, forming tears.

"Nothing… why?" Hanna blinked heavily. Her eyelids were struggling to stay open.

"Hanna, you're pregnant, and you're drunk. On school property! And you're underage!" Aria held Hanna's hand, trying to stop her tears from falling. She wondered what on earth made the blond do this to herself – Hanna was a really strong person, and that's what scared Aria even more.

"Darling, I'm fine," Hanna said, slurring her words and burping after her sentence.

"Oh my gosh… you're really drunk…" Aria quickly dialed Spencer's number.

"Hello?" Spencer picked up.

"Spencer, please come to the Janitor's Closet and bring Emily with you." Aria hung up.

"Hanna, what happened?" Aria once again turned to Hanna, looking right at her baby blue eyes. Hanna, though drunk, found it painful to think about Caleb.

"Nothing," she muttered quickly, breaking eye contact with Aria.

"Oh really? What girl, what _pregnant girl_, locks herself in the _Janitor's Closet_ and drinks? _Drinks_?!" Aria exclaimed angrily, throwing her arms out.

"Me…" Hanna murmured under her breath, breathing out heavily. Just then, the closet door opened, revealing a very worried Emily, and behind her, Spencer.

"Hello!" Hanna said cheerfully, smiling big at them. She tried to get up, but fell back unsuccessfully.

"Hanna?" Emily and Spencer said in unison.

"That's me!" Hanna chuckled to herself, before gripping onto one of the shelves to support herself getting up, being successful this time.

* * *

"I can do it!" Hanna exclaimed, bending over to unzip her shoes, pushing Aria who was trying to unzip it, out of the way. Unfortunately, one of the consequences for being drunk is the loss of balance.

Emily caught Hanna just as she stumbled over, nearly crashing her head. Hanna shook Emily off.

"I can do it, Em."

"Hanna, just accept our help. Please," Spencer begged Hanna, griping her shoulders. Hanna let out a sigh and nodded. Aria leaded the way to Spencer's bedroom, the other three, following close behind.

"I'll take her from here. You guys get back to school and cover for us," Emily said, gently nudging Spencer.

"Okay. Call us if you have a problem," Aria said, stopping along with Spencer.

"Will do," Emily said, walking to Spencer's bedroom with Hanna.

* * *

By the bed, Hanna suddenly stopped and started to dig in her bag. She finally took her phone out, scrolling through her contacts list.

"Who're you calling?" Emily asked with a concerned face.

"Caleb," Hanna muttered, still scrolling through. Emily didn't grab the phone from Hanna, but rather took it away, gently.

"Hey, give that back!" Hanna tried to make a grab for the phone, however, Emily was too fast for her.

"Friends don't let friends dial drunk," Emily said, smiling. "You'll thank me when you wake up. If you can even remember this…" Emily muttered her last sentence, smiling and shaking her head. "Sit, lay down, sleep."

Hanna did so.

"If you need me, I'll be downstairs," Emily said, before pulling the covers up to cover Hanna's fragile body.

"Thanks, Em." Hanna shot Emily a smile.

"What are friends for?"

* * *

"Ohhhh…" Hanna groaned as she woke up. Her head was pounding, and she felt like she had a migraine.  
"Where the f… Oh…" Hanna realised she was in a familiar place – Spencer's bedroom. She looked at the digital clock which lay on the wall facing her: 4:29pm. She tried to blink her sleep away. Her throat felt like a dead, dry bush that had just calmed from a bush fire, and her bladder was about to_ burst_. She ran to the bathroom and released the liquid that had built up inside her, letting out a sigh of relief as she did so.

"Hanna?" she heard a voice call for her.

"In here!" Hanna shouted, flushing the toilet.

Emily knocked at the door.

"Come in."

"How you felling?" Emily asked, smiling.

"Shitty," Hanna replied bitterly.

"I'd be surprised if you weren't," Emily said, giving a light chuckle. "I brought you some dispirins…"

"Could I rather have an aspirin? Those ones are weak," Hanna said, indicating the dispirins.

"Sorry, I already looked. Spencer only has these…" Emily shook her head. She gave the pills to Hanna, followed by a glass of water.

"Eugh, is this water?" Hanna asked, nearly spitting it out, but managing to swallow.

"Um… yea…" Emily replied, confused.

"Oh…"

* * *

Aria and Ezra were sitting on opposite couches, looking around the small apartment awkwardly. _He_ was waiting for _her_ to break the silence. Eventually, Ezra couldn't take it anymore.

"So…" he said, hoping she would catch on. She did.

"So…" Aria replied.

"You wanted to talk today…" Ezra's eyes looked down at him fingers. He couldn't look her in the eye. He just couldn't.

"Ezra-"

"Before you say anything, I'm going to say this. I'm _really_ sorry." Ezra cut her off, pausing between every few words.

"I'm not here to listen to your continuous apologies." Although Aria really didn't mean to make it sound hurtful, it did. It scarred Ezra. "I'm here to make up with you. I think I've given it enough thought and I really miss you. I do."

Ezra didn't say a word. He simply stood up from his couch and went across to Aria, embracing her tightly.

"I missed you too, Pookie Bear. And I love you," he said gently, into her hair. Aria returned the embrace.

"I know."

_Ezria have Reunited._

* * *

"Please?" Toby begged her.

"No, Toby. I'm not going anywhere." And annoyed Spencer shook her head.

"But why? Don't you want to see our baby?" Toby pouted, slowly walking up to Spencer.

"I… I'm scared…" Spencer softly said, letting Toby hug her waist from behind.

"Baby… I'll be right there…" Toby said, trying his best to comfort the shaking brunette.

"No, I'm not scared to see the baby; I'm scared that my parents will find out. I'm still a minor, Toby. Everything that happens at a hospital, my parents will find out. They'll have to tell my parents." Spencer looked into Toby's eyes.

Toby started laughing.

"This isn't a laughing matter!" Spencer exclaimed, shrugging Toby off, irritated,

"Spence, _you're_ a minor. Not me. I'm eighteen, remember?" he reminded his girlfriend. A smile appeared on her face.

"So…" Spencer wondered what he'd say.

"So does that mean we're going?" Toby asked, excited. He looked like a toddler, about to get a new toy. Spencer smiled at the thought.

"Yea, sure."

With that, the couple walked out, hand in hand.

* * *

Hanna was back in her own bedroom, tears running down her face. Now that Caleb had left her, she knew the only support she could rely on, other than her friends of course, was her mother. After a long time spent on crying and thinking, Hanna eventually came to a decision.

* * *

"Spencer Hastings?" A nurse dressed in a white and blue uniform who had a clipboard in her hand called Spencer.

"Here…" Spencer raised her hand.

"We're ready for you," the nurse said, smiling at Spencer.

"Thank-you," Spencer said, before taking Toby's hand and getting up.

* * *

"Hello. You must be Spencer. I'm Doctor Jenny Jean, but you can call me Jenny." The doctor greeted Spencer with a warm smile. She looked really young; somewhere in her early twenties was where Spencer expected her age to lay.

"Hi. This is Toby," Spencer said, pointing to her boyfriend.

"I'm guessing you're the father?" Jenny asked.

"That's me…" Toby said, smiling a little.

"Right. Let's get started, shall we? Nothing painful, just an ultrasound."

"Um okay…" Spencer sat on the bed. Jenny chuckled.

"You need to lie down, Spencer. And we've gotta put this stuff on you," the doctor said, indicating a tub of blue gel. "It might be a little cold, but here we go!"

Spencer inhaled sharply as the gel was placed on her stomach. It really was damn freezing. The doctor gave a light laugh.

"Okay…" Jenny said, picking up the scanner. "Hm… You seem about 6 weeks pregnant."

"Really? Only that far?" Spencer said, frowning. "I started morning sickness about a month ago…"

"Oh? You started really early… you normally start it around this time, at 4-6weeks of the pregnancy… but some women do get it really early, so not to worry," Jenny said, handing Spencer a paper towel to wipe the gel off. Spencer did so, and hopped off of the bed.

"Why _do_ we get morning sickness?" Spencer asked curiously.

"Oh, it's just your body's way of adjusting to the hormone imbalance," the OB/GYN replied, smiling gently.

"I'll see you in about two months. We should be able to tell the gender of the baby around then. But, if you have any pains or anything like that, I want you to come immediately, okay?" The doctor asked, writing something down on her form.

"Yes, sure. Thank you." Spencer and Toby walked out.

"See? That was nothing!" Toby said to Spencer in a teasing manner.

"Whatever. I'm hungry... let's stop by the pizza place, please?" Spencer batted her eyes.

"Not a problem," Toby replied, laughing and entwining their fingers together.

* * *

"Mom?" Hanna called out for her mother. She had been crying, and it looked a little obvious.

"Hanna? Are you alright?" her mother asked, concerned.

"Um… yea… Actually… I was hoping I could talk to you… if you're not busy…" Hanna sniffed in.

"Of course…" The red-head put her documents away, before patting the seat next to her. "So what's the problem?"

"I… um… You're gonna hate me so much for this…" Tears started running down Hanna's face again.

"You're my daughter – I can't hate you… so what is it?" Ashley tried her best to comfort her crying daughter. To admit, she wasn't the best at comforting people. But she was willing to try. For her. For Hanna.

"I… um…" Hanna tried to say the words. It didn't work.

"As long as you don't tell me you're pregnant, we're fine," Ashley said, chuckling, trying to lighten the mood.

Hanna's facial expression looked guilty and stayed ridged. Her mother was no fool. She picked up on it.

"Oh my gosh… you're pregnant, aren't you?!" Ashley gasped, her eyes open wide.


	9. Chapter 9: Story of Their Life

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

"Oh my gosh… you're pregnant, aren't you?!" Ashley gasped, her eyes open wide. Hanna didn't say anything. She just cried harder. She knew it – this was the end. She knew her mother had put up with her crap for the past 17 years, and this was it. Hanna had taken out the final block of the tower, and that block, yes, that tiny little block, would make the tall tower come _crashing_ down. But something unexpected happened. _She_ hugged _her_. Her mother _hugged_ her. Surprised, and taken off guard, Hanna didn't move; eyes wide. _What?_ _Was her mother embracing her?_

"Who else knows?" Ashley gently asked her daughter, rocking from side to side.

"The other girls… and…" Hanna sniffed. "_Him_."

Although Hanna didn't say _his_ name, Ashley understood perfectly well who she was referring to.

"And what did _he_ say?"

Hanna didn't say anything. Just cried harder, if that was even possible.

As the truth sunk into Ashley's brain, she wanted to get up from that very spot and pay _him_ a visit. Crush _him_ to pieces to make sure _he_ couldn't hurt her baby again.

"Is it… is this _a-always_ how it works, Mom? They say they'll love you _forever_… and… a-and at the first c-chance they get, t-they leave you? J-just walk out the d-door like that?" Hanna sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

"I know, baby, I know. But he's not worth it... He'll miss his _own_ child's childhood. Miss his _own_ child growing up. Miss his _own_ child's first steps…" Ashley comforted the shaking blond, trying to get her to calm down.

"Yes, but that child will be _my_ child. _My_ child will grow up without a father. _My_ child's childhood will always have something missing... I… I don't know if I can do this alone, Mom, I really don't…" Hanna pulled away from the embrace and looked straight into her mother's eyes.

_This is Hanna Marin's Life…_

* * *

"I can't. But they won't care. They never have." Spencer tried to talk Toby out of it.

"Spencer… they'll find out sooner or later… Besides, you're going to start showing soon…" Toby trailed off, trying to get his girlfriend to change her mind.

"I'll only really start showing around 4-5 months," Spencer argued, not wanting to tell _them_ anything.

"Spencer, please-"

"Toby! No! Besides, if they press charges against you, we're talking _jail_ here! _Jail_!" Spencer exclaimed, throwing her arms out.

"Jail? For getting my _girlfriend_ pregnant?" Toby was astonished.

"Yes. I'm still a minor, and because you're eighteen, it's seen as _rape_ in the law's eyes, even though it wasn't." Spencer tried her best to explain.

"Spencer… Please just tell your parents… I can't look at your parents in the eye, knowing that we're keeping a secret from them…" Toby looked guilty.

"Hey, hey, hey," Spencer said, hugging him. "I'll deal with this. I will."

* * *

Emily lay on her bed, facing the ceiling. Chemistry today was just plain awkward. Awkward. That word itself is awkward… Awkward… Awkward…

Emily snapped out of her daydream as she heard a knock on her door.

"Emily, a friend is here to see you." She heard her mother's voice.

"Can you send them up?" Emily asked lazily, not bothering to get up. She knew it was Hanna or Spencer, but most likely Aria.

"Hey," said a voice.

Emily's eyes opened wide, and she bolted up.

"M-M-Maya, w-what are you d-doing here?" Emily asked, stuttering over her words.

"Is there something you did that I should know about?" Maya asked, cocking her head to one side.

"Um… no?" It came out as a question rather than an answer.

"Oh… okay… Um… about why I'm here…" Maya trailed off, not knowing what to exactly say next. "How's it with Ben?"

"Um… fine?" Completely taken by surprise, once again, it sounded more like a question.

"Oh…" Maya sounded somewhat 'upset'. It was almost as if she was hoping for… another answer… more specifically, a _'no, we're not fine'_.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"Just asking," Maya said, looking away as she said it. She walked over to Emily's window and stared outside.

"Actually we're not." Emily blurted out, but as soon as she said it, she put a hand over her mouth. Maya turned around, looking right at Emily.

"What do you mean you're not?" she asked, frowning. But behind that frown, a hint of a smile could be seen.

"It's… it's not him… It's… it's me…" Emily got off her bed and walked over to her table, standing opposite Maya.

"What do you mean it's you?" Maya asked, raising her eyebrows. Emily knew she had to finish what she started.

"Um… I… I just don't feel that attracted to him anymore, I guess…" Emily tried to find the right words to use, but somehow, her vocabulary tank had shrunk a hell of a lot.

"So…" Maya dragged out the word.

"So…" Emily gave her a brief smile.

"Why do you think you're not… you know… not that into him anymore?" Maya looked curious.

"I… I don't know…" Emily shrugged, frowning. She really _didn't_ know why she wasn't _in love_ with Ben anymore.

"Then I guess you won't mind if I do this…" Maya said really softly, moving closer towards Emily with each word.

Emily didn't expect what came next.

Maya kissed her.

Kissed her.

Maya St. Germain _kissed_ her.

The taller brunette literally jumped away from the kiss, refusing to look into the shorter brunette's eyes.

"I-I have tonnes of homework to finish for tomorrow… Um… I'll see you at school tomorrow," Emily quickly said, practically shoving Maya out her bedroom door.

She felt bad.

She didn't know what to do – hell, she had just _kissed_ a girl.

A _girl_.

* * *

"Mom, Dad… Melissa… There's a reason why I asked you all to sit down," Spencer began, pacing up and down the living room's carpet – a habit that she had formed from a young age.

"We figured that out for ourselves, Spencer. Get to the point, please." Melissa looked uninterested.

"Melissa." Both lawyers said in a stern tone, as if to say, _'don't start it, please.'_

"I… I need your support." Spencer tried not to look into either one's eyes.

"With?" Her father was on the verge of getting up and going back to his paperwork.

"I… I'm pregnant," Spencer said boldly, not a tear in sight. Her voice didn't even shake.

"What?" Three voices said in a questioning manner.

"I am pregnant. Please, yes, I know you've been telling me to be careful-"

"Well obviously not enough!" Veronica shouted, enraged.

"Mom, please, I can explain-"

"There's no explaining to do. You're a slut." Melissa got up and headed towards the barn, where she 'lived'.

"Melissa!" Peter and Veronica both scolded their elder daughter.

"It's the truth. Never at age seventeen, _seventeen_, did I _ever_ even imagine of getting pregnant, let alone _having sex_. _Without_ protection." Melissa finished her speech and stormed outside.

"Mom, Dad-"

"Spencer, that's enough. Go to your room while your father and I discuss this." Veronica's face was as red blood.

"No. If you're talking about me, I should be present," Spencer said, hurting deeply from Melissa's words. She plopped down on the couch.

"Spencer Hastings. Go to your room _now_. You have _no_ idea how much trouble you're already in!" Peter shouted. He looked like he could go on and on, but for the first time, Spencer stood up for herself.

"No, dad, I won't. You're always telling me what I can and cannot do. Do you think I don't know what kind of trouble I'm in? I'm fucking _pregnant_, and I know it. Hell, the baby's _in_ me!" Spencer spat out, angry tears streaming down her face.

"Spencer, do _not_ talk to your father like that! Not once have I heard your sister talk to someone like that!" Veronica got involved, and when mothers get involved, it's not a pretty sight.

Being compared...

_This Is Spencer Hastings' Life…_

* * *

_Tick-tock, Em. Mommy knowing about it all would make your life so much easier, won't it? Surely, you wouldn't want her to find out from **A** 'stranger'?_

_Xoxo_

_-A_

Emily shook violently as she read the text, not knowing what to do. If her mom found out, so would her dad. And quite possibly, it could guarantee a 'no-scholarship'. She sighed as silent tears ran down her face, as if they were running a marathon against each other.

"Emily?" her mom called just outside her bedroom door. Emily didn't answer.

The door opened, revealing a nicely dressed Pam.

"Oh my gosh, Honey, are you alright?" Pam immediately rushed to her daughter's side.

"Mom…" Emily sobbed and sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

"What's going on, Emily?" her mother asked, sick with worry.

"I… I think there's something wrong with me, Mom." Emily looked right into her mother's eyes.

"Oh, baby… There's nothing wrong with you… You're the best swimmer I know!"

"Emily… I know it's hard, your father not being here and everything, but I promise you, there's _nothing_, _nothing_ wrong with you."

"Mom…" Emily knew she couldn't say anything to her mother.

Hiding…

_This is Emily Fields' Life…_

* * *

_Good boy, Caleb. Now, break her heart into a million pieces so she can't ever put it back again. _

_Xoxo_

_-A_

Caleb cried silently as he read this. Breaking up with Hanna was one thing. And now, now he had to do _this_? Yes, everything was –A. Nothing was him. But he couldn't say a thing – he had to obey this _bastard's_ orders, or else, _the news_ would go global. Global.

Was he really willing to hurt the girl he was _in love_ with to prevent disasters?

_This Is Caleb Rivers' Life…_


	10. Chapter 10: A Million and One

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

"Hanna Marin?" A voice called.

The blond looked up and saw a person gesture to her to step inside the office. She nodded and inhaled deeply, before standing up and walking towards the door.

"Hanna Marin? Doctor Jenny Jean. You can call me Jenny." The female doctor with brown hair and blue eyes stuck out her hand towards Hanna.

"Thank-you." Hanna looked around the room. Tears started to form in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

"Today we'll do a quick ultrasound to see how far into the pregnancy you are, alright?" Jenny asked, picking up a flat shaped bottle.

"Um, okay…" Hanna said, not sure what else they _could_ do.

"If you could come lie here," Doctor Jean patted the bed, "and lift your shirt up."

Hanna did as the doctor said. She flinched when the blue gel was placed on her belly.

"Cold, eh?" Jenny laughed.

"A little," said Hanna, smiling.

Dr Jean picked up the scanner and moved it around.

"You're around four weeks pregnant. Which is a month."

"Oh…"

"Look," she whispered, "that's your child. Your little baby."

Hanna gasped as she saw the living creature that lived inside her. It was scary when you put it that way, but Hanna was amazed.

"Would you like a printout?" Jenny asked, smiling at Hanna's reaction.

"Yes, please," the blond replied, still looking at the screen.

"Alright. I've released it, so I just gotta go get it. You can wipe the gel off with this," she said, giving Hanna a couple of paper towels.

The screen soon went black and Hanna hopped off of the bed.

She still felt the pain of being left by Caleb.

The pain of being at an ultrasound alone, with no-one accompanying her. She was alone in the room, so she didn't care about her emotions anymore. She let her tears win the battle this time. She cried _silent_ tears.

Just then…

_Cry silent tears, my little blonde. Cry silent tears. Hope your little ones survive out in the brutal world, Han._

_Xoxo_

_-A_

Hanna's breathing became harder and harder. Was A threatening her? With her child?

She was so afraid now. Who knew what –A was going to do to her new-born?

"I'm _never_ gonna let _it_ touch you, _Ever_," Hanna said in between sobs to the baby.

* * *

Aria was at Ezra's apartment, her legs on his lap. Since it was a Saturday today, Ezra had promised Aria that he'd devote his whole day to a black-and-white movie marathon with her.

"Oh my gosh… That's so sad…" Aria said, slowly lifting the popcorn to her mouth. The world around her didn't exist. It was like… she was absorbed in the movie…

"So what do you think?" Ezra asked.

"Hm…" Aria mumbled. To be honest, she didn't even know Ezra was talking.

"Aria?"

"Hm? Sorry, what?" Aria snapped back into reality.

"I said, what do you think?" Ezra chuckled.

"What do I think of what?" Aria cocked her head to one side.

"You haven't been listening, have you?" Ezra pulled his smug face. Aria rolled her eyes.

"Sorry…" she muttered, smiling at him.

"It's fine. I was saying, don't you think we should tell our parents?" Ezra said, looking away from her. "Okay, rephrase, your parents."

"Rewind that for me?" Aria looked at him, her eyebrows raised to the roof.

"I think we should tell your parents… I'm not just your love interest anymore; I'm your child's father too…" Ezra put his arm around Aria.

"Ezra… I… I don't know…" Aria's voice became barely audible.

"Hey, we don't have to rush. I'm just putting the idea out there. Aria, look at me," Ezra said, holding Aria's chin so she could look at him, "we'll go at your pace, alright?"

Aria nodded, tears in her eyes. She had never thought of this idea before – telling her parents about the baby, hell, about them. The secret relationship. What would happen with Ezra's job?

His _job_…

* * *

"Alright, here's your printout-" Jenny walked into the room with a smile on her face, but as soon as she saw Hanna, her smile dropped.

Hanna tried to wipe her tears away without being noticed by Dr Jean, but too late.

"Honey… there are thousands of single teen moms out there… and judging by your reaction when you looked at that ultrasound, you're gonna be a great mom…" Jenny hugged the crying teenager, comforting her.

"Thank you," Hanna muttered. "Thank you."

* * *

Spencer sat on her bed, staring at nothing in particular. She heard a knock on the door.

"No. Don't come in." Spencer had been blocking out everyone apart from her friends since the fight that she had had with her father.

The person didn't go with Spencer's wishes, as her door creaked open.

"Spencer, can I come in?" Veronica stood by her daughter's bedroom door, dressed in a suit – not that this surprised Spencer.

"Looks like you already made the decision for me. Like you always do…" Spencer spat at her mother.

"Honey… please don't shut us out," Veronica said, sighing.

"What do you want?" Spencer asked, staring at the wall.

"We need to talk. About you… and Toby."

"Good luck," Spencer scoffed, pulling her knees to her chest.

* * *

It was a rainy afternoon after school when Emily _finally_ decided to give Maya a heads up.

_Emily: Hey, can we talk?_

_Maya: I'm at work now, but I'll be done in a few minutes?_

_Emily: Come over to my place at 5?_

_Maya: Sure._

She chucked her phone on her bed. Why was life so _damn_ complicated? _Why did she get uneasy feelings around girls but not around guys?_ Part of her knew she knew the answer to this, but the other part – likely didn't want to admit it…

"Emily!" her mother called from downstairs, "I need to get some groceries. Will you be alright for a few hours or do you want to come along?"

"I'll be fine, Mom!" she shouted back, before hearing the front door open and close.

Mom out of the way.

_Great._

* * *

"Ah, Ezra, good of you to give Aria a ride in this weather. Come in, come in." Ella held the door open for the young couple.

Aria and Ezra glanced at each other.

A _ride_?

Ha, no…

* * *

Emily had just started on some homework when she heard the front doorbell ring. She sighed and got up – it could only be Maya. No, don't get Emily wrong – she loved Maya's company, but lately, things had gotten uneasy between them.

The doorbell rang again.

Emily took a jog down the stairs and finally opened the front door.

"Hey." Maya had a smile on her face.

"Hi," Emily replied, taking a deep breath in and closing the door as soon as Maya stepped in the house. "My room?"

"Sure," Maya replied, nodding slightly.

In Emily's bedroom, the two brunettes looked around, not daring to look into each other's eyes.

"I've been thinking-" The silence had to be broken, and both had chosen the same time to do it.

They laughed awkwardly.

"You go first…" Emily said, using hand gestures.

"I've been thinking," Maya started again, speaking with real caution, "about us. This. What happened the last time?"

"Yes. I've been thinking about that too…" Emily dared not look Maya in the eyes.

"What did you feel? How do you feel now?" Maya asked.

"I… To be honest, I-I don't know…" Emily frowned.

"You pulled away much later than I expected…" Maya said in _'as-a-matter-of-fact'_ tone.

"So you predicted I would pull away? But you still kissed me?" Emily scrunched her face up.

"Of course – It's not every-day when you kiss a girl, you know…" Maya smiled.

"I understand, but… so what does that mean? What do we mean?" Emily asked, desperate to get an answer.

"I don't know… You tell me…" Maya turned the question around.

"Maya, I don't know. I'm just so confused at the moment." Emily was being sincere and honest.

"I felt like that at my first time too." Maya let out a small laugh.

"What do you mean first time?"

"I came out as bisexual when I was about… 14?"

"Oh…" Emily was surprised to hear that. "How did you feel?"

"Please, we're not having a therapy session," Maya said, holding her hand up in a playful manner. Emily too, let out a laugh.

* * *

_Good boy, Caleb. Now, break her heart into a million and one pieces so she can't ever put it back again. _

_Xoxo_

_-A_

Hours later, Caleb still stared at this horrific text message, looking at it as if it held his life or death.

Frustrated and angry, he slammed his fist down on the nearest table – the one he had used for… other purposes.

How the hell was he going to hurt Hanna again? Intentionally?


	11. Chapter 11: Terrified

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

Hanna was sitting in Spencer's room feeling sorry for herself, while Emily was staring at her phone.

"Where's Aria?" Spencer asked, not taking her eyes off of her laptop.

"Breaking the news to her parents…" Hanna replied absent mindedly.

"Oh…" The two brunettes said in unison; Spencer having a better understanding than Emily.

"How's she doin' so far?" Emily asked.

"Dunno… she said she'd come over as soon as she could…" The blond really looked worn out. She wasn't even wearing designer clothes – and for Hanna, that was a big deal.

Emily's phone chirped, indicating she had received a text. The other two looked at her with sorry eyes.

"Who's the sender?" Spencer asked.

"Ma- Mike?" Emily caught herself at the last moment. Of course it wasn't Mike.

"Why would he be messaging you?" Hanna asked.

"He… um… he thinks Aria's acting um… funny… so he wanted to um… know if I know anything about it…"

"Oh…" Spencer went back to her laptop.

"Yea…" Emily said awkwardly, before quickly leaving to room to return a text to the real sender: Maya St Germain

* * *

Aria and Ezra stood awkwardly in front of the petite girl's parents, not knowing how to break the 'hateful' news.

"This is starting to scare me," Ella said, in her usual slow tone.

"Ezra…? Aria…?" Byron looked from his daughter to his 'colleague', getting no response from either one.

The pregnant couple glanced awkwardly at each other, with no _damn _clue of how they were going to do this. Ezra had in fact planned out a whole speech, weeks ago, to say to the Montgomery parents, but nothing came to mind. Not a single thing.

Yes, he was an English teacher, who had received outstanding awards at 'Public Speakings' and all, but trying to tell your girlfriend's parents that you had gotten her pregnant – boy, that was another deal. Wait, before the 'pregnant' part, he'd also have to tell that they were sort of 'dating'.

He laughed at how dangerous his life complications were, and that earned him a confused look from Aria.

_Man, he was screwed…_

* * *

"What? When? What did they say?" Toby's eyes stretched till they looked like tennis rackets – Spencer had told him that she had told her parents about her being pregnant.

"Well, let's just say there was a lot of… drama…" Spencer didn't look Toby in the eyes – she felt guilty for not having him present when she broke the news. But she knew that she what was best for him.

"Spence… you know I could've helped…" Toby sounded somewhat hurt.

"Yes, I know… you've been _nothing_ but supportive from the _very_ _second_ I told you," said Spencer, hugging her tall boyfriend tight. A few tears that she had been holding back managed to escape, but went unnoticed by Toby.

"I love you," said Toby in a soft, yet powerful tone. "So much."

* * *

"Coming!" Emily shouted, half jogging to get the door. Her mother was out to book a ticket to Texas, and she was alone at home.

The tall athlete opened the door.

"Spencer?" she said, cocking her head to one side. "What're you doing here?"

"Hello to you too," Spencer said, laughing as she walked in. "I was just at Toby's…"

"Oh…"

"Yea… and something struck me when I was there."

"Um… what was it?" Emily asked, turning her head slightly.

"Em, understand that I'm not accusing you of anything… but why aren't you pregnant?" Spencer asked curiously. "And I haven't seen you with Ben in ages…"

Realisation struck the swimmer as she heard that. She had only told Aria about the break-up, and Aria hadn't told the rest of the pack.

"I… um… We ended things ages ago…" Emily nervously said, not sure of how Spencer would take the news.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry – why didn't you tell us?!" Spencer crushed Emily in an unexpected embrace, causing the tanned brunette to stumble backwards.

"Spence, chill," Emily said, laughing lightly. "I guess it didn't really… bother me?"

"Aw, you poor thing…" Spencer finally released Emily and frowned.

"Yea…" Emily didn't know what else to say. Should she tell Spencer that there was a chance that she might be… you know… the 'G' word?

Yes, it scared her to say the word.

It really did.

* * *

"Aria, honey, you've been standing there for more than 10 minutes… and it's really starting to scare me…" Ella said in the same tone she had used, 10 minutes prior.

"Mom… I…" Aria once again was lost for words.

"And how exactly is Ezra involved?" Byron questioned. This whole situation really confused him.

"Ezra, may I speak to you?" Ella began. "In private?"

The young couple exchanged panicked looks. Ezra knew that Aria's face told him NOT to agree, but he thought it would be for the best.

"Sure," he said, throwing an _'I'm sorry'_ glance at his minor girlfriend.

Ella led the way to the kitchen, with Byron following closely behind.

"Is… is my daughter doing drugs? Alcohol?" The middle-aged brunette asked with a worried face.

"Wha- Ella, calm down, Aria isn't doing drugs," Ezra said in his famous 'calming' tone. "Or alcohol."

"Oh my gosh," Ella breathed a sigh of relief, but her face turned ridged again. "Then what is it?"

The thing that none of the legal three adults knew, was that the small, petite brunette was eavesdropping – Aria had hid behind one of the 'pillars'.

"Um… it's sort of complicated…" Ezra was too unsure now. Too. Unsure.

"Ezra, please. We need to know it if it concerns Aria," Byron said, swishing the glass in his hand from side to side.

"Aria… she's sort of…" Ezra failed to finish his sentence.

"Ezra, I'm not asking again." Byron's voice sounded angry, but you could hear genuine worry behind it.

"She's sort of pregnant," Ezra blurted out. He bit his tongue immediately, though. _He was so stupid! Why did he just say that?..._

"_What?_" The Montgomery parents both said in unison, shock and anger travelling through them.

"_Aria Montgomery!_" Byron yelled his daughter's name. Terrified and worried, Aria immediately stepped out of her little hiding place and stood in front of the three adults, trembling.

Byron and Ella didn't say anything. They glared and stared at Aria, as if she was some alien who had set foot in their house.

"Who's the father?" Mom asked in her low, yet dangerous voice. "_Who_ is the father?"

Aria failed to answer.

"Is he anonymous? You don't know?" Ella gasped after a few moments of silence had passed.

"No- Mom! What do you take me as? A slut?" Aria too, gasped.

"Yes, seeing that you've gotten yourself pregnant – at seventeen! _Seventeen_?!" Ella was a very calm person at most times. But when she got angry once, she could win a court case in a snap of a finger.

"Mom! I know I made a mistake, but you shouting at me doesn't make anything easier!" Aria shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"_Who is the father, Aria_?" she shouted again.

It hurt Ezra so much to see his fragile and pregnant girlfriend cry.

_It hurt him so much._

"I'm the father!" Once again, Ezra blurted out. He only did it to get the attention off of Aria, but my, my, did he _not _know what happened in this family. In the Montgomery family.

"Ella and Byron both turned their heads to stare at Ezra. As soon as the 'period of shock' wore off, Ella turned to the poor girl, who was bawling her eyes out.

"Aren't they enough decent guys at your school? You had to go bang your teacher? Your _teacher_, Aria?!" Ella was outraged. Her face was as red as the blood that would be shed soon.

Just as Mom finished screaming her words out, Byron got up. He got up and walked right out the front door. Ella couldn't believe what she was seeing – her husband had just abandoned the situation…

"Both of you… just… Aria, go to your room, and _you_," she pointed to Ezra, "_get out_. Get the _hell_ out of my house."

Ezra and Aria sighed heavily and both went to the front door.

"I'd come with you, but it's best not to push my mom's 'unpushed' buttons today," Aria said sniffing in, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll call you later, I love you," Ezra said hurriedly, seeing Ella glare at them.

With that, he walked out the door.

Aria turned round, only to see her mother standing there with her hand sticking out.

"You know what I want," Ella said in a robot-like tone. Cold, yet calm. No, _not_ calming. Just cold, yet calm.

* * *

**_The next day, Lunch, Rosewood High_**

"Aria, how come you came with Emily this morning?" Spencer asked, stuffing her mouth full.

"Um… my mom took my car keys and phone away…" Aria said heavily, moving her food around her plate. She really didn't feel like eating.

"Oh… how did it go, by the way?" The brunette asked, her mouth full of… food…

"Geez, I don't know, Spence, how do you _think_ it went?" The smallest brunette said sarcastically, snapping at poor Spencer.

"Aria, I-" Spencer began but was cut off by Aria.

"I… I'm sorry… Pregnancy hormones and all that crap…" Aria apologised.

"Hm… You have mood swings… I get hungry again right after eating… And Hanna…" Spencer trailed off, looking at Hanna.

The blonde looked _so_ empty, like a tin can that had just been emptied.

"Han?" Emily nudged her friend.

"Hm? Yea?" Hanna shook her head.

"Are you alright?" Aria asked.

"I…" Hanna didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to her handbag and started looking for _something_.

When she found that _something_, she lay it in the center of the table, being careful not to place it in the middle of a water puddle.

The other three Liars gasped.

At that, the weak blonde lost it. She broke down completely.

"Hanna…" Emily, who was sitting next to her, hugged her tight. Hanna returned the embrace, crying into Emily's shoulder.

There, in the middle of the table, lay a _sonogram_.

Hanna's very _first_ sonogram of her baby.

The ultrasound that she attended _alone_.

* * *

**_English Period_**

Mr. Fitz was nervously flipping through the thousands of essays he had to grade when the bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson.

"Alright, please don't forget to study the skit on pages twelve to fifteen for the next lesson. Good afternoon. And Miss Montgomery, if you could please stay behind – we need to discuss your extra credits essay." Ezra dismissed his class – last period of the day.

"You guys go ahead. Meet me in the car park," Aria said in a soft tone to the gang.

"Right." The two brunettes and the blonde walked out.

The couple looked at each other.

"Aria-"

"Ezra-"

They both said in unison.

"Go first," Aria said, using hand gestures as well.

"Um… your father paid me a visit last night – in my apartment…" Ezra said, scratching the back of his neck – a nervous habit.

"Shit, Ezra, whatever he said, I really do apolo-"

"No, no… he… he actually told me something really worth thinking about…"

* * *

"Hanna?"

It was a familiar voice calling her. A little _too_ familiar.

She spun round, only to face the _thing_ that shattered her heart into a million thousand pieces. _Him_. _It_. _Caleb_.

"No." Hanna cut her sentence short and walked in the other direction.

"Please, we gotta talk," Caleb said with genuine worry in his voice.

"Well, I gotta get home, so I guess neither of us are getting what we want. Goodbye, Caleb," Hanna said, starting to walk faster towards her car.

She felt him follow her for a few more steps, but soon, she heard her own footsteps only.

Hanna really wanted Caleb to chase after her.

To hold her tight.

But that can never happen.

Not after how he treated her.

_'You've been treating me like something you scrape off your shoe…'_

Hanna remembered these words. The words that had escaped Caleb's lips right after their awkward shower.

Their first shower together that led to _many_ more.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride." Aria addressed the raven haired girl.

"Not a problem, Aria. Pick you up tomorrow?" Emily asked in her kind-hearted nature.

"Yes, please."

"Gotcha. Bye…" Emily drove off and Aria walked inside, sighing heavily. She didn't want to see her mother, but she had to speak to her father.

Desperately.

* * *

Hanna closed her car door powerlessly and started her slow walk to the front door of her house. Her mother was still at work, so she'd have the house to herself.

She climbed the stairs and opened her room door. As she closed it, her instincts told her that she was being watched.

She suddenly felt a hand over her mouth.

A hand.


	12. Chapter 12: Regrets and Regards

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

Hanna suddenly felt a hand over her mouth.

A hand.

But this hand wasn't rough or anything – it was soft and gentle… almost too familiar…

She shook herself free from 'the hand' and spun around.

"What-... What the _fuck_ are you doing here!?" Hanna shouted, surprised and angry.

"Please – I need to talk to you…"

"I can't do this. No. Please, I don't want to see you – ever!" The now-7-week-pregnant-blonde had come this far, but it was her breaking point. Her tears made her face seem like an ocean that had violent tides, rushing in and out. In and out.

"Hanna, please, at least hear me out…" The boy begged, his eyes too, starting to fill with salt water. "Please…"

"Give me one good reason, Caleb. _One_ good reason! _Just one!_" Hanna shouted in his face, her mascara making her cry tears of death.

"I have a reason that's worth it, please, Hanna. _Please_." Something told Hanna that maybe she should hear him out. Give the guy a chance. But it was a very small piece of her mind that barely existed. But big enough to be noticed.

"No. Nothing regarding you or that has anything, _anything_, to do with you is worth it. Worth _any_ of my time. Worth _any_ of my pain. Worth _any_ of my tears." Hanna's face had two rows of polluted streams running down and they were symmetrical to one another.

"I get it – I really screwed up. But please, _please_, hear me out – just this once. It's worth it – please…" Caleb was trying to hold back tears – to be the strong one. But boys, no, men, yea, men – men do cry at times. _And it's allowed_.

"_Screw_ you, Caleb. You, _you_, the one with the _'very good reason'_ – you made me go to the first ultrasound _alone_. You made me go get my first sonogram _alone_. Yea, that word sink into you yet? _Alone_!" Hanna shrieked, followed by many, many sobs. Caleb just stood there, speechless. Yes, **A** was on his tail and all, but he had really hurt Hanna. And this was it – it was the end.

"I… I'll go now," Caleb said weakly, his tone, hurt and soft. Hanna continued to cry and cry. Sobs could be heard even when Caleb was standing outside the Marin's house. He felt so bad, but he felt he couldn't do anything about it. Or could he?

* * *

Emily looked around her nervously as she sipped her water. The text she had received from Maya earlier on asked to meet her right there, where she was sitting.

The bell by the door chimed, indicating that someone had come in. Emily turned round in her chair since she was facing away from it.

There stood Maya St. Germain, the girl who made her heart jump.

"Hey," Maya said, sitting opposite of the tanned swimmer.

"H-hi," Emily managed to say. She was smiling so big that her cheeks hurt.

"I need to get to work so I'll try get to the point…" said Maya, laughing lightly.

"Right."

"Here goes… When I was… uh… 14? 15? I realised I liked boys… and girls…" Maya trailed off, suddenly finding the plain serviette really fascinating.

"Oh…" Emily wasn't too surprised by the news, but to admit, it's not something you hear every day.

"And I think I like you…" Maya said boldly, nervous, but happy to have gotten it over and done with.

"Uh…" The tall brunette was indeed, taken off guard by the sudden 'breaking news'. But not surprised. _Not_ surprised.

"Look, I know it's not every day when a girl, a _girl_, comes up to you to say she has feelings for you, but I've noticed the way you act around me, Em – I sorta think you might, _just might_, have feelings for me too…?"

"Maya, I'm just really… confused at the moment," Emily said honestly. She really was confused, so confused.

"Don't worry – I know how you feel. But I'm just sayin', alright?"

"Yea, okay." The swim captain gave the short brunette a small smile.

"To add to that – it feels great when you're out."

With that, Maya left the table, gently touching Em's shoulder as she walked out.

But she had left her confused – 'feels great when you're out'? What on earth did that mean?...

* * *

Aria sat on her bed, with silent tears running down her face. Her face didn't even indicate she was in pain or anything… The thought of what she had seen earlier kept haunting her.

_The short brunette had walked into her secret boyfriend's classroom, expecting him to be there. She was greeted with silence – no one was there. She thought to herself that maybe Ezra had just gone to get a coffee or something and decided to look around a little bit._

_Aria peeped at some of the papers on his desk, but only one caught her attention. She stared at it. _

_**LETTER OF RESIGNATION**_

_When she had heard the door behind her open, she turned around, only to look straight into her teacher's eyes._

_"Aria? What's wrong?" Ezra had, no doubt, a coffee in his hand._

_"I… I gotta go," Aria had said, avoiding his question and muttering so he could barely hear her._

_"Are you still coming over later?" Ezra asked just before the door closed in his face._

_She didn't give him a reply._

Why was Ezra trying to quit? Was he trying to pack up and run away? Leave her and their baby behind?

As Aria continued to sob, she heard a knock at her door. She quickly sniffed in and wiped her eyes on her sleeves.

"Come in," Aria croaked, wishing they'd just leave her alone.

"Mom wants you to come downstairs and eat." Mike was at the door, looking at his older sister with sorry eyes. Just as he turned round to go back downstairs, Aria called for him.

"Mike?"

"Yea?" He turned round.

"Could you… could you bring my dinner up here? Please?" Aria begged him with her eyes. They both knew this was against the family rules. Rule number one.

"Uh... Sure…" Mike turned around again to presume his task of getting back downstairs.

Aria mumbled a 'thank-you' to the door and lay down on her bed.

_It was a long day…_

* * *

"Please sign this." Spencer practically threw a piece of paper that had her writing on it at her father; her tone, a flat yet dangerous one.

"What is this?" Peter questioned, not liking his younger daughter's attitude.

"Nothing. Please just sign it so I can vanish from here." Spencer sighed and stared out the window.

"I don't put signatures on _nothing_." Peter threw the form back to her. Spencer breathed impatiently and slammed the paper back on her father's side.

"It's my AP History class progress report. Sign it, dad, please." Spencer's fuse was getting shorter by the time, and she knew that if she didn't get out of there in time, she'd go mad.

At the sound of 'progress report', Peter finally looked up at his daughter. He picked up the pamphlet, flicking through it to see the brunette's marks and comments by the teacher.

"World War One Trench model – 98%... Weekly test average – 100%... Spot test – 100%... Class test – 99%... Presentation on the USSR in World War Two – 100%..." The impressed lawyer looked up at his daughter who had an extremely ticked-off look on her face.

"Wow, Spencer… I love you – congratulations!" Peter said, softening towards his daughter a hell of a lot.

While she heard her father say those words, Spencer, however, was trying to maintain her anger.

"You know, I think we'll have to throw you a party…" Peter reached for his inner blazer pocket, feeling for a pen. At this, Spencer's fuse finally reached the final millimetre, making her blow up.

"Yeah, dad, that's _all_ that you care about, isn't it?! Grades this, grades that, grades fucking everything! I'm so _sick_ and _tired_ of this bullshit! You made me look like a slut in front of your clients every single day for the past week, and now just because my History marks are "reasonable" you want to throw me a party?" Spencer angrily yelled, her pregnancy hormones doing half the job. At this rate, the lawyer looked at the hockey player with wide eyes, which soon represented anger.

"Spencer Hastings. You will _not _talk to me like that – ever! And watch your language, young lady!" You could tell that Peter was furious – he looked like he was ready to take Spencer to court – and go against her. But the look on his face was not even _close_ to the dirty look on the A-student's face – _complete_ _disgust_, frustration and anger. Everything that had boiled up inside her for the past torturous years in _one single emotion_.

"You know what? Don't touch my paper. Don't even _touch_ it. I'm _sick and tired_ of the people I call 'Mom', 'Dad', and 'Sister'. I'm moving out; don't call me. I'm better off _not_ having a father than _you_ as a father. And family? No, I don't need any. I have friends," Spencer spat out, snatching her report sheet and stomping upstairs.

She was finally done with all this Crap. With a capital 'C'.

* * *

Aria had eaten her dinner that Mike had generously brought up, and now she just felt numb. Like nothing could be done. She stared out her now dark window, at the moon. Wow, it was bright tonight… Her phone chirped - she had been sent a message.

_Nothing will be the same again, bitch. I'll personally make sure of that. _

_Kisses xoxo_

_-A_

A thought overcame her and she jumped off her bed – was she ready to lose Ezra? _No…_ Was she ready to be a single mom? _No…_ Was she ready to… lose the possible love of her life? _No… _Then she was going to have to confront him and talk.

Talk.

It was the _only_ way to solve things.

_Talk._

For the first time, **A **had actually helped her... wow...

* * *

"What?" The voice on the other end demanded.

"I know I screwed up, but please give me another chance." Caleb begged.

"Son of a bitch."

"Please." Caleb was ready to break down.

"You didn't keep your promise and now I _will _ruin you. I don't care what you say." The voice was calm, yet cold. Caleb was now terrified. This person was capable of anything.

"Please. I really, really did have a good reason…" Caleb was on his knees, even though the receiver couldn't see.

"Nothing comes before the promises you make with me, darling." The voice was threatening.

"No… please…" Caleb tried again, before the line went dead.

_'I'm in a hell load of shit...'_ Caleb thought to himself, breaking down on the floor. Tears were running down shamelessly.

He probably messed up his life for good…


	13. Chapter 13: I Kissed A Girl

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

**_Same day as last chapter_**

Emily now sat on her bed, not knowing who she was. Could she… could she possibly like girls? And guys too, for that matter? She lay down, sighing heavily. She knew if she came out as gay, her parents wouldn't be too happy with her – other families knew them as the 'perfect lieutenant, his wife and their athletic, scholarship-guaranteed-daughter'. And her father wanted to keep it that way.

"Emily?" It was followed by a knock.

"Come in," Emily said, sitting upright.

"I have a surprise for you, honey." Pam looked excited, and Emily was worried – her mother called anything and everything exciting, so…

"Um… what is it?" The swimmer nervously asked.

"Not what. Who." Another voice boomed. Sweet Em's face lit up like a bonfire at this particular voice.

"Dad?" Emily questioned. Behind Pam, Wayne emerged, his arms spread out. "Dad!"

Emily ran up and crushed her father in a bone-crushing embrace, Dad returning it.

"I missed you _so_ much," Emily said into Wayne's shoulder. "So much."

"I missed you too, Emmy. I really did."

* * *

_Knock knock knock_

_She_ waited. _His_ face didn't pop up round the door.

_Knock knock knock_

No answer.

Aria reached for the spare key that she knew Ezra kept under the doormat – success – she had found it. She turned the door knob and stepped inside.

For the second time that day, she was greeted with silence.

The short brunette set her bag down by the couch and sat herself. She just waited in silence, nervous.

Silence, silence and more silence…

About 20 minutes later, Aria heard laughter coming from the other side of the door – more specifically, _his_ voice. _His_ laughter.

She just stared at the door, waiting, daring him to open it and step in – at last, the door knob turned, and there stood Ezra…

Arms linked with another woman.

Another woman?

And a _damn_ pretty one at that…

Aria didn't move one bit – her body wasn't responding to her brain's orders.

"And that's exactly why I love you, Ez," the woman said, kissing Ezra's cheek.

Aria just stared at the sight before her eyes.

Ezria's eyes met.

"A-Aria," Ezra said, looking at her, shocked. "I-I didn't expect you to be here…"

_'Of course you didn't'_ Aria thought to herself.

"Ezra? Who is she?" The other woman asked, pointing to Aria.

The petite brunette couldn't believe this.

Ezra was _cheating_ on her.

* * *

"You ready?" Toby asked as Spencer came downstairs.

"Yea… but I still think we're fine without going today… I mean, none of the other girls have been for their _first_ one…" Spencer said, absent mindedly.

"The other girls?" Toby questioned, clearly confused.

"Oh… uh…" Spencer was lost for words – wouldn't it be suspicious if Hanna and Aria were also pregnant?

"Spencer?"

"Yea, the others. Aria and Hanna are pregnant too – sorry, I didn't tell you…" Spencer gave a quick, but fake smile to Toby, praying he'd fall for it.

"Oh… what a coincidence…" Toby smiled back, walking up to his girlfriend. He enveloped her in a hug. A warm hug.

_A coincidence it is, Toby, a coincidence…_

* * *

_The truth will set you free! _

_Kisses xoxo_

_-A_

**A** sent out a group message to the four Pretty Little Liars, each of them having a secret of their own, but three, sharing one.

The girls were not together – Emily was at home, Aria at Ezra's, Spencer and Toby at the hospital and Hanna, at the mall with her friend, Mona. Of course, Mona didn't know about the pregnancies… in any way…

"How does this look?" Hanna asked her frenemy, holding up a grey, baggy sweater.

"Excellent…" Mona said. "If you're going to attend your own funeral," she finished sarcastically.

"Mona, I'm serious," Hanna said, sighing and shifting her handbag's weight.

"I'm serious too, Hanna. I'm not gonna have you wear… what pregnant women have to wear as maternity clothes… eugh…" Mona made a face at the sweater, but the blonde just stood there, staring at the raven-ish haired girl.

"W-what do you mean?" Hanna nervously asked.

"Gosh, Han, I mean you're seventeen – you can't wear something that suits… your mom…" Mona rolled her eyes and walked away with style. The pregnant and hormonal teenager breathed a sigh of relief and walked after Mona.

_Thank goodness she didn't know… yet…_

* * *

"Ezra? Who is she?" The other woman asked, pointing to Aria.

Ezra didn't even glance at the woman standing next to him. His eyes were focused on Aria – who had a shocked and confused expression on her face.

"Aria – this… uh… This is my sister, Rachel… Rachel, this is Aria… my… my girlfriend…" Ezra hesitated before saying 'girlfriend', and it was obvious everyone in the room noticed that.

At 'this is my sister', Aria let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She smiled quickly to cover up her previous expressions and finally stood up.

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Rachel, as this idiot said," the pretty blonde joked, extending her arm so Aria could shake her hand – the minor gladly took it.

"Likewise," the brunette said, smiling big.

To Aria, Rachel didn't look much older than she was. Perhaps Senior Year – or maybe even Junior.

"I'm seventeen, going on eighteen," the blond said, confirming Aria's wonders.

"I turned seventeen," Aria responded, smiling.

"Oh…" Rachel, no doubt, looked a little shocked. She turned to Ezra, who immediately looked away, suddenly becoming amazed by the belt he was wearing.

Aria realised her mistake and threw a _'sorry'_ glance at her boyfriend, but he didn't catch it.

"Why don't we sit down and we'll talk," Aria said, taking Rachel's hand and leading her to the couch.

* * *

Caleb tried again.

"I told you not to contact me." The other voice at the end of the line was cold and demanding.

"Please, one more chance. Just one more…" Caleb was crying silently, but you couldn't tell by his voice.

"No."

"_Please_. If _she_ doesn't want it, then I won't ever interrupt you again – you can do whatever you want to me…" Caleb was desperate.

"How do you expect me to trust you again? We made a promise and _you_ broke it. Face the consequences." The voice sounded irritated and annoyed.

"That's why I'm asking for _one more chance_ – I know I messed up big time. But please. _Please_."

"Tonight. Better be quick, boy. Remember _our_ promise."

The line went dead. Caleb sighed a sigh of relief and went to plan for that night.

_At least he could breathe again. At least he could live again._

* * *

"Ha, so Aria, all it took you to get this lad was your tongue down his throat and his hands on your ass?" Rachel burst out into laughter, barely able to maintain herself because she was shaking so badly.

Aria felt her cheeks get so hot she thought they were on fire – Ezra had just told his sister about their first encounter at the bar.

"Pretty intense, eh?" Ezra laughed.

They hadn't quite gotten to the part where Aria was his student and also pregnant, but live life on the edge! They would get to that part… hopefully soon…

"Coffee?" Ezra asked, standing up.

"Yes please." Aria smiled at her soft-curled-haired boyfriend.

"Tea for me, please," Rachel didn't take her eyes off of Ezra's window – not that there was anything interesting going on…

But Aria realised that Rachel had a slight… 'off-accent'… as if she was trying to… fake an American one?

* * *

"Emily! Someone's here to see you!" Wayne called for his daughter from downstairs. Emily, who was on her laptop, closed the programmes she had opened and closed her laptop.

"Hi…" Before Emily Fields' very eyes, stood Maya.

"H-hey Maya," Emily said, smiling. "I'm gonna take her upstairs, Dad!"

"Alright. But dinner's going to be ready soon!" The swimmer heard her father call as she led Maya upstairs.

"So…" Maya started as soon as the taller one of them had closed the door.

"What are you doing here?" Emily suddenly asked.

"Nice way to welcome me, Em," Maya joked, teasingly.

"Sorry… I'm just not used to someone confessing their love for me and then turning up on my doorstep!" Emily replied sarcastically.

"About that. That's why I'm here. I've given you time, Emily."

"Maya! You gave me, what – three hours?!" Emily was taken aback by Maya's sudden presence.

"So what do you say?" Maya threw Emily her famous side grin.

"I... I don't know. Alright? I _don't_ _know_. I don't know what feels _right_ anymore-" Emily was cut off by a pair of lips landing on hers. She felt instant butterflies in her stomach, fluttering away. She didn't want the moment to end. She wanted it to last _forever_.

And, it did _feel_ right.

After a good few seconds, Maya pulled away.

"Did that feel right?" she softly asked, looking to Emily's eyes. Her _dark brown_ eyes.

"I…" Emily didn't know what to say. She was too afraid to say it.

"Emily, dinner!" Her dad's voice boomed right outside her bedroom door.

"Coming, dad!" Emily replied, before looking back at Maya again. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No. I need to be home. See you later, Em." Maya gave Emily a one-sided smile before walking out her bedroom door.

Just then, the swimmer's phone chimed. Fearing the worst, she picked it up, opening the text message.

**_Blocked ID:_**

**_'I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstic~' _**

_You should listen to Katy Perry more often, Em! _

_Kisses, bitch xoxo_

_-A_

* * *

Hanna closed her car door, and locked it before heading towards her house with all 8 shopping bags. She checked her phone – 7:48pm – just in time for dinner.

The blonde opened the front door, and it was dark.

"Mom! I'm home!" Hanna called for her mother, but she didn't get a reply. From the doorway, she looked straight ahead at the kitchen, and she saw a dim light.

"Mom?" Hanna said, walking to the kitchen. There, she saw her mother sitting in her chair, working in her laptop. "Mom!?"

"Oh hey, sweetie," Ashley greeted her daughter. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to make yourself dinner tonight… I'm… I'm going out…"

"Oh… with who?" Hanna asked eagerly. Was it a guy? Had her mother finally put that douche of a father behind?

"Um… a… um… person…" Ashley said, doubting her own lie.

"Mom, seriously?" Hanna rolled her eyes.

"I need to borrow your boots, Hanna. The black ones."

"Ooh, who's this guy you're dressing up for?" Hanna asked with a grin on her face.

"Oh, Hanna. Please – I can't be late," Ashley nudged her daughter.

"Alright, alright! Be right back," Hanna gave her mother a quick smile and went upstairs.

"I'm sorry, Hanna," Ashley said quietly, once the blonde was out of sight. "I'm sorry."

* * *

**_A/N: _****_New character's profile:_**

_Name: Rachel Fitzgerald_

_Age: 17 (turning 18)_

_Hair colour: Honey blond_

_Eye colour: Blue_

_Accessories: Wears glasses; purity ring on left hand._

_Personality: You'll have to wait and see… But so far, she: has a good sense of humour, not much patience._

_Relationship: Ezra's younger sister. Has a really good love bond between herself and Ezra, although they call each other names._


	14. Chapter 14: Shades of Love

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

**_Same night as last chapter_**

"Aria? Is something bothering you?" Ezra asked his clearly-distracted-girlfriend.

"Is Rachel really your sister?" Aria blurted out, unable to keep it to herself anymore. She had thought about it since she noticed the blonde's accent, but nothing seemed to fit together – of course, unless, Rachel wasn't Ezra's sister – an ex, maybe?

The small brunette's heart pounded as she waited her for her boyfriend's reply.

"Did-… did she say something?" Ezra asked nervously.

"No… no… it's not that… it's just…" Aria trailed off, not knowing how to bring it up.

"I do assure you, though; she _is_ my sister by birth…" Ezra smiled lovingly at his girlfriend.

"Why does she have… and accent?" Aria asked, not knowing how to exactly 'ease into the question'.

"Oh," Ezra dragged the word, "she doesn't live in the US."

"Oh?" Aria questioned. That explained everything… sort of… "Where does she live?"

"In the UK – she's attending Petroc college there…"

"I thought she was only turning 18?" Aria was as confused as hell.

"You finish school at 16 then college 'till 18, and only then, university." Ezra chuckled, watching Aria's facial expression change a million times.

"Right," Aria dragged on the word, her memory bringing back feint memories of the UK's education system.

But she had something else on her mind, and little did she know, so did Ezra.

* * *

Emily sat on her bed, throwing her neck back in frustration because of the _thing_ that had happened before dinner.

_"I... I don't know. Alright? I don't know. I don't know what feels right anymore-" Emily was cut off by a pair of lips landing on hers. She felt instant butterflies in her stomach, fluttering away. She didn't want the moment to end. She wanted it to last forever._

_And, it did feel right._

_After a good few seconds, Maya pulled away._

_"Did that feel right?" she softly asked, looking to Emily's eyes._

Her parents were out for the night – her mom wanted to take Emily along, but the swimmer excused herself from the event, claiming that her parents could use some time alone to catch up. Mom had reluctantly agreed.

Emily walked to the living room and switched on the TV.

"And I say this… because… because I am gay…"

Emily's eyes grew wide and she quickly switched the entertainer off, breathing quite heavily. She had just witnessed _Ellen Page_ come out – to the _public_.

But after a few seconds – once her breathing had subsided, she switched on the telly.

"And I say this… because… because I am gay… And I say this… because I am gay…"

Strangely, the scene kept on replaying. And replaying… and replaying… and replaying…

Realisation hit Emily as her phone chimed.

_Now isn't that a nice way to come out of the little closet you're hiding in?_

_Love, xoxo_

_-A_

The colour drained from her face as she realised that **A** had been in their house at some point, programming the TV to replay that scene over. She felt sick to her stomach.

**A** was going to haunt her for, literally, the rest of her life… well, until she came out… which wasn't an option.

But our swimmer decided that she wasn't going to have this _bitch of a_ _devil_ ruin her life.

_No._

* * *

"Aria, why did you get so… somewhat mad at me when I walked into class today?" Ezra curiously asked. He had been really confused earlier that day, when he came back into class with a coffee in his hand – his first drink in _hours_ from marking essays – and Aria had had tears in her eyes, and had just stormed out .

"Oh… I… I saw your resignation letter…" The small brunette replied sheepishly, looking at the floor.

"And why would that trigger you?" Ezra was still confused.

"I… I thought you… you were trying to leave me and the baby behind," Aria said, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Aria!" Ezra used that melting tone of his – literally, any girl would melt on the spot – like Olaf would have…

"I know, it was stupid of me to think of that, and I'm really-" Aria was rambling on and Ezra couldn't resist anymore.

He leaned in and hushed her lips with his very own.

Of course, our lucky, petite brunette responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Ezra pulled away, looking into her eyes. They were frozen in time, and all was well until a very familiar _someone_ excused herself.

The blonde cleared her throat, staring at the couple, smirking. Ezria jumped apart, both blushing as red as a monkey's butt…

"I'm back, _Ezra_," Rachel said, giggling at the couple's reaction.

"I noticed that, Ray." Ezra was clearly embarrassed to have been walked on by his 'still-minor' sister. Rachel had been to visit their mother, despite the English-teacher's disapproval.

"Mum asked me to say 'hi' to you…" The tall blonde pushed her glasses up, knowing it was awkward to talk about their mother to her older brother.

"That's… uh… great…" Ezra said, fake enthusiasm present in his voice.

Boy, he _really_ didn't like his mother…

* * *

"Hello?" The voice on the other side of the line said.

"Hi Maya… It's… it's Emily…" The athlete didn't know how to start this conversation.

"I sorta realised that, Em," said Maya, laughing. Man, she was _always_ so much more calm and outgoing than Emily was.

"Are you… are you busy? Like now?"

"Um no… apart from homework, which I'm close to giving up on…" Maya's 'smirk' could be heard over the phone.

"Do you… do you want to do it together?" Like now?" Emily nervously asked. _What was she going to say if Maya said 'no'?_

"Sure! I'll be over in… 15?"

"No problem. See you…" Emily pressed 'end call'. Suddenly, she felt herself get nervous. Sweaty palms, faster breath… _She looked a mess! She had to take a shower! Dress up! Put some make-up on-…_ whoa…

Emily tried to calm her nerves. _'Calm down, she's only a friend'._

However much she tried to convince herself, it just simply didn't work.

At last, the doorbell rang.

It _rang_.

* * *

"Where are you planning to go? I mean like a job…" Aria asked Ezra once Rachel had gone to her guestroom – she claimed she was jet-lagged and needed her rest.

"I… I didn't fill you in on a piece of information… Do you remember me telling you that your father visited me _that_ night?"

"How could I forget…" Aria said sarcastically, sighing.

"Well, he reminded me that I was you teacher… And also your baby's father…" Ezra put on his smug face.

"Where are we going with this?" she winced.

"He offered me a job at Hollis." Ezra said that _really_ fast, in one breath.

A shocked _'What?'_ was all that came out of his girlfriend's mouth.

* * *

Hanna was on her way upstairs, headed to retrieve a pair of boots that her mom had asked for. It was now quite dark, and you could hardly see anything without the lights on.

"Now where did I place those babies of mine…" Hanna muttered to herself as she pushed her bedroom door open. She froze when she realised something.

Something different.

There were lit candles, swaying in the darkness, and for a second, they soothed Hanna's broken heart.

Suddenly, in the background, slow-dance music started playing.

She could only think of one person who had done this.

"May I have this dance?" came a soft voice from the direct left of her.

The blonde turned round to face _him_, and facing _him_, brought _all_ the memories flooding back to her – some, _too_ good to remember, and others, _too_ devastating.

It felt, as if almost nothing had changed. _Nothing_.

But everything _had_ changed. _Everything_.

Hanna stood there, not really knowing what to do or what to stay. Caleb's eyes looked hopeful, but Hanna's mirrored a mixture of fear and confusion – he had ditched her, just like that. _What if he did it again? And why was he coming back to her now?_

Despite her brain's orders, the blonde's legs took her to where her former lover was standing, his arm, reached out.

Hanna took his hand, and the two started slow-dancing to the music that was playing.

It _felt_ right.

* * *

In Emily's room, she and Maya sat on her bed, their bodies, facing each other, but their eyes, wandering elsewhere. Looking anywhere but at each other.

Finally, after a good 10 minutes, Maya spoke up.

"I get the feeling that you didn't call me here to do _homework_ together…" Maya said, smirking.

"What? No, of course I want to do homework-… Yea, you're right…" Emily gave up on the act she was pulling.

"So what is the real reason why you called me?"

Emily desperately wanted to say _'I think I sorta like you too, Maya…'_ but no words came out of her mouth. She just sat there, looking like a fish that had swallowed air – mouth dangling open but nothing coming out of it.

Then, something took over the tall athlete's body – Emily literally jumped on Maya and kissed her. Maya, taken by surprise, just sat there.

As soon as the moment of shock wore off, Maya kissed back too.

"I… I think I wanna be with you," Emily said, breathing hard once the kiss had been broken.

Love had _so_ many different shades. And for Emily, it showed a _very_ different shade.

* * *

After a good few songs, Caleb couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I love you, Hanna. I really do," he said softly, afraid of what her answer was going to be.

"I… I love…" Hanna said.

Caleb smiled.

That's right – smiled. The corners of his lips had turned up.

Love was _so_ unpredictable…


	15. Chapter 15: Friend Zone 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

**_Same night as last chapter_**

"I… I love this _song_…" Hanna said.

Caleb smiled.

That's right – smiled. The corners of his lips had turned up.

Love was _so_ unpredictable, especially with Hanna. This girl was really stubborn, and he knew that well.

As the song finished playing, as much as he didn't want to, Caleb let go of Hanna and walked to the player to switch it off. He then flicked the lights on, catching Hanna smile in the process.

"Oh, shit! I need to get my mother the boots!" Hanna gasped as she ran to her shoe closet, throwing whatever came into her hand that wasn't the pair she was looking for.

Her _heart-breaker_ let out a light chuckle.

"No, it's _not_ funny! She's gonna be late for her date or whatever…" Hanna didn't even look back at him as she said this.

"Hanna, chill. Your mom's been on this _with_ me. She asked you to _'get the boots'_ so she could make sure you came into your room before dinner or whatever…" Caleb laughed to himself.

"Oh…" As she heard that, the blonde's heart sank slightly – she really did want her mother to move on… Just like her _father_ had.

"So… does this mean you're giving me a chance to explain?" The shaggy-haired boy asked, hope evident in his eyes.

"I…" To be honest, Hanna had forgotten that she and Caleb were, in fact, no longer together. When they were together, in each other's presence it felt almost normal… "I think my mom would want to hear it too… And since I'm not going to be repeating _your_ explanation, you'd better do it in front of the _two_ of us."

She turned around to reach for the door handle, but Caleb quickly yanked her wrist, accidentally hurting her in the process. Hanna pulled her wrist back, rubbing it while looking at him as though he was crazy.

"Sorry! Sorry… I… we can't go to your mom." Caleb looked apologetic yet frustrated at the same time.

"Why?!" Her tone was an angry one.

"It… it…" Caleb knew that if he said this, _the news_ would go global. And even though he didn't want to admit it, that _bitch_ was everywhere. He'd bet ten bucks that **A** too, was listening in on their conversation, this very same one.

But earlier that day, he had made up his mind. He wasn't gonna let _this shit_ ruin his life – ruin the girl that he loved, and of course, _their_ unborn baby.

"I'm waiting, you know," Hanna said, in a monotone.

"**A**."

"Please tell me I heard you wrong?" Hanna's eyes grew slightly wider.

"**A**'s been putting me up to _all this crap_. He, she or whatever that _thing_ is – they have something on me and threatened that it'd go global if I didn't… if I didn't _hurt_ _you_…" the boy finished softly, as if it was _too_ painful for him to repeat.

Hanna's eyes instantly tears up – mixed emotions were fighting with one another in her head.

"Caleb! **A **has something on all of us!" The blonde raged with anger – this wasn't the reaction Caleb was expecting.

"I know, Hanna, and I'm sorry-"

"No! Sorry _isn't_ good enough! If I saw you hurting the way I _know_ you saw me, I'd have told you – clued you in. Do you have _any_ idea of what you put me through? I went to my _first_ ultrasound alone, Caleb. I've been sitting, flicking through a _baby naming book_ alone! I've done _everything_ alone pretty much ever since I found out I was pregnant! And now, you, _you_, you stand there, telling me to forgive and forget just because you name **A**? _Bullshit_!" Hanna screamed at him through her tears, her make up being ruined by every stream that came trickling down.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry – it's all I can say and do to try beg for your forgiveness. Please, Hanna. I'm _really_ sorry…" Caleb tried to envelope Hanna in a hug, but on second thoughts, he knew she needed her space.

Hanna continued crying out loud, with Caleb, shedding a few unnoticed tears too. Then, they heard footsteps, preceded by a knock on the door.

"What's going on in here?"

* * *

A few hours ago, Spencer had stormed upstairs, thrown a few essentials in her suitcase and had driven off.

Now, about two hours later, she was still driving around, not knowing where to go. And on top of that, she was damn hungry.

"Shit," Spencer mumbled, as she hit another red light. It was her… 7th one in a _bloody_ row.

Her phone in the passenger's seat chimed, momentarily scaring the hockey player.

"Holy cow-… gosh…" she said, as she let out a sigh of relief.

_Toby: Spencer, where are you?_

_Spencer: Um… at home… Why?_

_Toby: Don't lie. Your mother was just here, asking if you were here._

_Spencer: And what did you say?_

_Toby: That you were in my room, but you didn't want to speak to her… She's worried._

_Spencer: Perfect._

_Toby: I'm worried too, Spence._

_Spencer: Relax. I'm just drivin' around in my car…_

_Toby: Please come over. Jenna's out with my parents. They're in Philly until tomorrow noon. Please._

_Spencer: I love you, see you soon._

_Toby: Drive safe._

* * *

"What's going on in here?" Ashley's voice boomed across the blonde's room.

"M-mom…" Hanna stuttered, quickly wiping her tears away. Ashley, however, glared at _him_.

"You…" she began, walking slowly towards Caleb, "you broke our second promise."

"I- Mrs Marin-"

"I thought I warned you, but apparently you took that as some kind of joke!" Ashley lashed out on Caleb.

"_Mom_!" Hanna quickly snapped back into reality, trying to get hold of her mother to prevent Caleb's funeral from happening. "Mom! Calm down!"

"Hanna! He bloody hurt you – again! How would you _not want to kill him_?" Ashley directed her last few words at Caleb.

"Mrs Marin, I'll do my best to explain-"

"Mom, calm down! Be _reasonable_!" Hanna didn't even know why she was protecting him. She just was.

* * *

Apparently, when you say something you mean, it gets jinxed and becomes the opposite of what you meant. For example, Spencer was now in hospital, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Oh my gosh Spencer!" Toby _lost his senses _when he saw his _pregnant_ girlfriend lying on the hospital bed, all bandaged up. And unfortunately, he had spotted her in the worst time ever – she had lost consciousness again, which meant that Toby thought she was _dead._

The tall boy pushed the doctor aside as tears ran down his face, looking at Spencer's apparent 'lifeless' body.

"What happened…" he whispered, barely audibly.

"She was involved in a car accident… It's presumed to be a hit and run." The doctor filled Toby in on the information he was craving.

"How… how did she get here?" Toby asked, facing the doctor.

"We had an anonymous call. He or she reported Miss Hastings, about 45 minutes ago."

"Well can't you tell by the voice if it was a male or female person?" Toby argues.

"No – they used a robotic voice disguiser – but it's really common these days. People want to help get the person to the hospital, but they don't want to be involved in any kind of investigation, so they speak through a device that disguises their voice."

It was only now when Toby noticed the doctor's accent. But he didn't have time for that.

"I'm so sorry…" Toby looked back at Spencer, who had a tube down her throat. "I'm really sorry."

Just as he turned back to the doctor to ask a question, he felt his girlfriend stir. Just then, Spencer began to choke on the tube that was helping her breathe.

"Spencer? Spencer! Baby, can you hear me?" his heart speed rose, beating abnormally quickly – after all, his girlfriend was alive. The doctor gently pushed Toby to one side as he tugged on the tube.

"Spencer!" Toby turned around, only to see the three older Hastings run towards the bed. "Spencer?!"

"Is she okay?" Veronica asked, not bothering to look at the doctor.

"Mrs Hastings. She's fine. She's suffered a concussion, and she'll drift in and out of consciousness, but we've put her on drugs that will help her come around sooner. She won't go into a coma, thankfully."

Melissa Hastings slowly turned her head in the doctor's direction.

"_Wren_?"

"Hi, Melissa," Dr Wren Kingston said, managing a smile. "How've you been?"

* * *

"How come you didn't tell me, Mom?" Hanna questioned angrily once her mother had let her in on a pretty useful piece of information.

"He called me _twice_ earlier today, asking for permission to do this. I told him the answer was no, but he insisted…" Ashley avoided her daughter's question.

The two Marins and Caleb were sitting downstairs, with Ashley and Caleb giving Hanna answers. Just as she opened her mouth to argue, the blonde's phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, sniffing in. "What? … Oh my goodness… is… is she okay?" Hanna nervously asked. "Alright. I'll be right there. Thanks, Toby. … Oh sure, I'll do that. … Okay see you."

Hanna pressed 'end call' as she glanced at Caleb and her mother. Both could see that something had happened.

"Spencer's in hospital. It was a hit and run."

* * *

"Em! Aria!" Hanna ran up to her friends and embraced them in a bone crushing hug. "Poor Spencer, who thought _this_ would _ever_ happen to her…"

"Hanna, calm down," Aria began, slowly patting the anxious girl's back.

"Yea, she'll be okay, Han. She _will_. Don't forget – Spencer's a _Hastings_ – they bounce back like _super_ _balls_," Emily said, trying to lighten the mood – success.

"I guess…" Hanna broke the hug, sniffing in. She had called Emily and Aria while driving to the hospital, Caleb, saying things that would calm her down.

"Hanna? Emily? Aria?" A familiar voice called them.

"Wren?" The three Liars said in unison.

"I'm Spencer's doctor… ironically… But she's in a good state – I mean her condition. She just went out of consciousness again, but she'll come round. You're welcome to go in," he finished, showing the girls the room that their fourth best friend rested in.

"Thank-you," Aria said, being the first to recover from the fact that Dr _Wren Kingston_ was Spencer's doctor.

"It's my pleasure," he said, before walking off in his white gown.

* * *

"Some day, eh?" Aria spoke with a blank expression to the two other girls.

"Mm…" Emily agreed, looking up at the sky – it was dark, but there were stars everywhere. They were standing outside the hospital building – visiting hours were over.

"What do you think happened?" Hanna suddenly questioned, frowning.

"You heard her, Hanna, she doesn't remember – she's just suffered a concussion, do you really think that she'll know who did this to her?" Emily stated, irritated.

"Forget it…" Hanna mumbled. "I gotta get home."

"See you guys here tomorrow," said Emily, turning around to walk to her car.

Even though tomorrow was a school day, Mrs Hastings had suggested that the girls take a break and stay home – the mothers all agreed.

* * *

"Mom, please. You lashed out at him… It's past 11 – he's never gonna get home…" Hanna was on the phone with her mother, trying to persuade her to let Caleb spend the night – in separate rooms, of course. "Mom… please…"

"Alright, fine. One night, Hanna, one night." Ashley gave up on the opposite line.

"Thanks Mom! Love you!" Hanna pressed 'end call' and started her car. Caleb was in the passenger's seat – he had driven Hanna's car to the hospital because the blonde was so shaken up. "You're crashing at my house tonight."

"Thank you," Caleb said sincerely.

* * *

"You can use these," Hanna said, walking into the bedroom Caleb would be spending the night in, passing him a blanket and a pillow.

"Thanks." Caleb tried to look into Hanna's eyes and pick up her mood.

"Goodnight." Hanna turned around and was about to walk out, when Caleb, once again, grabbed her wrist – this time, not hurting her in the process. But Hanna, taken by surprise, nearly crashed into him.

"Can we… can we talk?" Caleb asked. Hanna just nodded. He sat on the bed and motioned for her to join him.

"Look Caleb-"

"Look Hanna-"

Unison.

"You go first," Hanna said, smiling weakly.

"You and the girls have a pretty strong bond, eh?" Caleb changed the subject, not knowing what to say.

"Well… We're friends… That's what they're for, aren't they?" The blonde smiled, looking into the boy's eyes.

"Yea…" Caleb replied softly.

"Speaking of friends…" said Hanna, breaking eye contact, "I think that's where we should start. A _fresh_ start…"

"Hanna-" Caleb was cut off by another voice.

"Hanna, your _own_ room, _please_," Ashley's voice said from round the corner of the door.

"Okay Mom. Goodnight, Caleb." Hanna walked to the door, turned back, and smiled.

"Night," Caleb said, trying his best to hide his disappointment – he had hoped for more than just a friend.

_So much more._

* * *

**_The next day, Marin household _**

"Hanna, I need to scoot now. I'll see you later." Ashley kissed the blonde's forehead before heading out the front door.

"Morning." Caleb emerged from his room.

"Hey," Hanna said, looking up from her cereal. "Breakfast?"

"Thanks, but I think I should get going…" Caleb briefly smiled at his ex-girlfriend.

"Oh… right… Alright… behave at school," Hanna joked, forcing a smile.

"I'll try," he smirked, before walking out the front door.

As soon as he left, the blonde sank into a deep thought. _Very deep, indeed._


	16. Chapter 16: Friend Zone 2

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL, nor the books mentioned

* * *

_Brief summary of last chapter: Hanna and Caleb are in the friend zone – Caleb has told Hanna that it was __**A's **__doings, but Hanna doesn't want to get back together with him. Spencer was in a car accident – she had been drifting in and out of consciousness._

* * *

**Two days later**

"Hey," Emily greeted as she got up from her desk and pecked Maya's cheek.

"Hey…" Maya said, pulling the tanned swimmer in for a _proper_ kiss.

"How was your day?" Emily asked, breaking their moment.

"Crappy… Some jerk comes in, and then he barks at how supposedly _horrible_ the food he ordered and ate _two_ years ago tasted, then-"

Maya was cut off by Emily letting out a chuckle.

"Em! Don't laugh!" Maya frowned, lightly punching her girlfriend's arm.

"Are you sure that guy wasn't drunk?" Emily asked, unable to control her laughter.

"Eh, don't really care… Anyways, how was yours?" It was Maya's turn to ask.

"Not too bad, actually," the swimmer said in a teasing voice, "swim practice was tiring, though…"

"Aw," Maya '_cooed'_ in a sarcastic tone. "So what are we doin' tonight?"

"Um… I just gotta finish up English, then we can catch a late movie? _Divergent_ is out, and the books are great, so… maybe you wanna watch that?" The tall raven-haired girl suggested.

"Eugh, NO. I _absolutely_ hate Divergent… It's too much of a plagiarised version of 'The Hunger Games'." Maya rolled her eyes; she was _the number one fan_ of 'The Hunger Games'.

"It is not!" Emily laughed, arguing back.

"Is too! I mean see it from this point of view – in 'The Hunger Games', there are 13 districts – in 'Divergent', there are 5 Factions. In the districts, at age 12, you _have_ to participate in the reaping, and at age 16 in 'Divergent', you _have_ to choose a faction-"

"Whoa, Maya, slow down!" Emily smiled as she watched the adorableness flow out of the girl that stood in front of her – the girl that she was proud to call _girlfriend_.

* * *

Aria had just finished eating dinner at Ezra's place – Chinese take-out.

"Have you… have you been to an ultrasound yet?" Ezra asked as he stood up, taking the now-empty-plates from where they were eating.

"No… You would have to be there, Ezra," Aria said as she chuckled to her boyfriend's hilarious ignorance.

"Oh… When are you planning to go?" he asked, putting the plates in the sink.

"I… I haven't really thought about that…" Aria suddenly realised that she hadn't been paying much attention to her baby. Well, apart from the morning sickness that still taunted her on a daily basis.

"Are you gonna go any time soon?" Ezra was careful of what he said around his petite, pregnant girlfriend.

"I don't know, Ezra," Aria replied in an already-irritated tone.

"Sorry…" he immediately apologised, looking at the floor. Aria let out a sigh – she felt bad.

"No, Ezra, I'm sorry. Pregnancy hormones are all over the place, really…" she trailed off, getting up from the couch to try level up to her _teacher's_ eyes.

"You don't ever have to apologise, Aria. Ever. I love you," Ezra said, pressing his lips against her temple.

"I love you too. Hey, you wanna go tomorrow? After school?" Aria said into his shirt, embracing him. She felt him tense up.

"I don't think that's a good idea-"

"On second thoughts, yea…"

They spoke in unison.

After a minute of silence, both still lost in the embrace, one spoke.

"I've handed in my resignation letter…" Ezra began, not knowing how to 'ease into the subject'.

"Oh…"

"Yea… I told them it was an emergency… They said I could leave by the end of the week, though," said Ezra, breaking the 'cold silence' between the couple.

It was a Thursday today, so hopefully they wouldn't have to wait too long to see their little infant for the first time.

"Saturday?" They both asked each other. The _teacher_ and the _student_ looked into each other's eyes as they smiled and nodded; mirroring one another.

* * *

_Spencer: Hey guys, come over? I could really use the company..._

_Hanna: Spence! You're allowed a phone again!_

_Aria: Coming (: Missed you tonnes, Spence *heart sign*_

_Emily: Sorry, Maya's over… another time? I'm really sorry, Spence._

_Spencer: Thanks guys (: And no prob Em! _

The hockey player sighed a sigh of relief as she put her phone back on the hospital bed's night stand. It had been two days since the accident, and she still wasn't out of this prison, and to make matters worse, she hadn't been allowed visitors until two seconds ago, when _Dr Wren Kingston_ walked in, handing her phone back – she _immediately_ texted the girls, of course.

About 10-15 minutes later, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she sang, smiling brightly. She was desperate for company – well, other than the needles and nurses, and doctors...

"Spencer! Are you better?" It was none other than Hanna the Blonde.

"Hey Han. Ohhhh I missed you. Yup, you…" The brunette hugged Hanna, teasing her friend lightly.

"Yea, yea, yea, we all knew that _deep _down, you like me too," Hanna said slyly, beating Spencer at her own game – a first!

"Whatever," replied Spencer, laughing.

"Hey Spence! How are you?!" came another voice – Aria's voice.

"Hey other-half-of-Sparia!" Spencer was in a light mood.

"How's little Spoby, though?" Aria asked with a worried face.

"Oh, the baby's fine. Only me who got injured, thank goodness…" Spencer trailed off, her face darkening.

"So what've you been up to?" Hanna asked, directing the question at the patient who was lying in bed.

"Well, if you count watching my arm getting needles poked in and out of it, a _loooot_." Spencer rolled her eyes in frustration. "I wish they could just get this damn thing off me…"

"Aw what did the doctor say?" Aria asked.

"You mean Wren?" Spencer laughed. "I can be out of here hopefully by the end of this week…"

"Speaking of Wren… why the hell is he your doctor? Do you think he requested to be yours? Do you think-" Aria was cut off by Spencer.

"Aria! Calm your hormones! They're flying! And I don't know, but he's doing a great job, so-"

"Hey, don't you dare try to flirt with other guys – you're with Toby!" Hanna warned, her eyes growing dangerously wide.

"Hanna!" Aria said, shocked, looking to her ditzy blonde friend.

"Hanna! I know I'm with Toby – hell, I'm carrying his child!" Spencer said, taken back by Hanna's sudden outburst.

"Sorry… But you did date him, though…"

"Hanna!" Aria scolded her friend again.

For a split second, all three looked at each other before bursting into laughter. A hysterical one.

"We're gonna get coffee, alright? Be right back," Aria said, tugging on Hanna to come with her once the laughter had died down.

"Sure," Spencer replied, nodding. "Oh, and turn the light to its dimmest when you go out please." The light on the ceiling could be adjusted by turning a knob – the dimmest was so dim that from the outside, it looked like the room didn't have the light on.

"Okay," replied Aria, before doing so and walking out, closing the door behind her and Hanna.

* * *

The girls had been gone for a good few minutes and Spencer was beginning to feel drowsy. She dozed off, but snap awoke when her head dropped to one side. She shook her head and tried to blink the sleep away. Then, she suddenly heard the door knob turn – more specifically, _her_ door knob. Terrified, she was.

It kept on _slowly_ turning as she stared in fear, wishing her friends would return right at this second. It was well past 10pm, and most of the patients in the hospital would be sound asleep by now. The doctors did checks every 3 hours, so they wouldn't be returning for another 2 hours too.

Spencer considered her options – yank out the wires she was hooked up to, jump out the window, standing a chance to break her neck, or sit in the exact position, to wait for someone-… who are we kidding? This is **A**!

She panicked.

Tears started streaming down her face – she felt so helpless, so sick. So useless…

By now, the door had slowly started opening, and in the dim light, she could make out a figure. More specifically, a hooded figure.

And it was holding _something_.

* * *

"Hanna, just choose already!" Aria complained as the blonde's finger wandered from one coffee button to the next, unsure of which to pick.

"Sorry, but I need to choose the right one, Aria," Hanna fought back, not liking how her 'coffee-choosing-time' was being cut short.

"Hanna! We have a friend who's waiting for us?!"

"Yea, right…" Hanna said, as if it had previously slipped her mind. She quickly settled for cappuccino, shortly afterwards, receiving her coffee.

"Finally…" the short brunette mumbled before leading the way back to where Spencer lay…

* * *

And it was holding _something_. Spencer was now paralyzed with fear. Her body was shaking violently, but thankfully, she was _mute_.

She saw the figure's hand reach up for the light switch, and boom! The bright light was in her eyes, blinding her.

_'This is the end,' she thought._

* * *

"Can you walk any faster?" Aria said, turning back to Hanna, who was a good 3 meters away from her.

"Have you ever tried to walk in 10 inch heels, darling?" Hanna asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Nope. Never have, never will." Aria sounded dismissive.

"Well maybe if you'd worn them before, you'd understand-"

"Oh just shut up and hurry, will you? We've left Spencer for… a good 20 minutes," said Aria in a rushed and concerned tone.

"Yes, Mother." Hanna rolled her eyes, threw off her heels, picked them up and walked barefoot.

_'Icky, but much better,' she thought._

* * *

After the few seconds of shock had worn off, and she had regained her eye sight, Spencer stared at the intruder.

She then broke down crying, completely.

"Spencer? What's wrong?"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh… I thought… I thought y-you w-were… **A**…" Spencer stuttered, tears still streaming down her face.

"Aw, I'm so sorry, Spence. I _really_ am. From the outside, it looked like the light in the room was off, and I didn't hear any talking, so I thought Hanna and Aria had already left and you were asleep… I just didn't wanna wake you…" she said, hugging the fragile brunette.

"I was terrified, Em. Terrified."

"Oh Spence… it's okay, okay? I'm not **A**, and I'm _so _sorry for my entrance… I really am…" Emily, AKA 'The Intruder', tried to comfort her broken friend. Just then, the door barged open, and a blonde and a brunette entered, bickering.

"Em?!" They both said in unison when they saw the swimmer standing there with her arms around Spencer, who was shaking violently indeed.

"Hey guys," Emily replied, glancing briefly at her other friends, but her attention soon returning to Spencer.

"What's going on?" Hanna asked, nearly dropping her coffee. "I thought you said you couldn't make it?"

* * *

After Emily had explained to the other girls what had happened and Spencer had calmed down a little, things got serious.

"So… whatcha tell the doctor?" Hanna asked slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what did you tell the doctors when they questioned you?" The blonde said it in a tone as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Not the truth." The one sick in bed replied guiltily.

"Spencer, we all know it was **A **who did this to you – we have to take it to the police now! It's just gone too far now! Breaking up relationships and stuff like that isn't life threatening, but you – **A** tried to freaking kill you!"

"Hanna! Since when has taking things to the police done any good to us?" Spencer shacked her head; not believing what was she was hearing.

"Spencer-"

"Both of you _shut_ _up_!" Aria's voice suddenly barged in, making Spencer and Hanna jump. "Just shut up, alright?"

"What do we do if there's an **A **team member in the police force, Han?" Emily reasonably asked.

"Wait, so now you think **A** is a whole team?" Aria's eyes were wide.

"Oh come on, Aria. Tell me you've never thought about it - how does this _bitch_ keep tabs on _all_ four of us, nearly 24/7? I'm almost _so sure_ that **A** is a gang."

* * *

**_The next day, Rosewood High_**

Hanna walked to her locker while reading the text message Spencer had just sent her. As she started to type a reply, the blonde fashion princess bumped into something, or rather, someone.

"Hey! Watch it-" she began, but stopped in mid-sentence. "Oh, Caleb… hi…"

"How're you doing?" Caleb asked awkwardly, not knowing what else to ask.

"I… I'm fine, thanks," she replied, faking a smile.

"That's… that's good…"

"Yea…"

"I gotta get to class… catch you later?" Caleb said, although both of them knew for a fact that there wouldn't be a 'later'. It was just a statement.

"Sure. Bye…" Hanna gave another forced smile as Caleb walked round her.

* * *

"Yes, yes, I get it, goodbye." The blonde came off of the phone with Aria, before chucking her phone on her bed – school had ended for that day, but the day seemed to just drag on and on…

She heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she replied absent mindedly.

"Hi…"

"C-Caleb…" Hanna choked on her spit she just happened to be swallowing at the time.

"I… I came to ask if I… um… If you wanted to go to the dance together? You know, as friends…" Caleb asked, pacing from side to side.

Hanna considered this.

"Um… yea… sure thing…"

"Okay, thanks. It'll be fun…" Caleb knew he sounded like an idiot there.

"Yea…" Hanna found things extremely uneasy between them.

"So… I guess I'll go now…" He turned around and started his way downstairs after he smiled at Hanna.

Now, the blonde didn't know what came over her, but something snapped in her brain.

"Caleb, wait!" she shouted, before running up to him.

"Yea-" but before he could finish his sentence, her lips were on his.

The boy was momentarily stunned.

"I… I thought you wanted to be friends…" Caleb whispered once the kiss had been broken.

"Looking at you, every day at school, talking to you, and doing all those things… but not being able to call you _mine_ made me feel helpless… Watching you in English, watching you run your fingers through your hair whenever you couldn't get the clear message across-"

This time, _she_ was cut off by his lips. He had made _this_ move.

"So... do you think we can start over?" Caleb asked, waiting for a reply.

A _reply_.


	17. Chapter 17: Acting

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

**_Sunday, Fields' household_**

"Baby," Emily greeted as she opened her room door to let Maya in.

"Hey," she said softly, giving her swimmer girlfriend a sweet kiss. "I missed you."

"Maya, it's only been… what, a day? Two?" Emily laughed as she looked into her lover's eyes.

"But still…" Maya pouted, frowning. Emily responded with a much longer and passionate kiss.

"So you ready?" Emily asked, breaking their 'dancing-of-the-lips'.

"From ages ago, Em. But _you_ look like you still need to take a shower… and change…" Maya teased her raven-haired partner.

"Speaking of showers… I'll be right back, kay? 10 minutes." Emily quickly gathered her clothes and such and left for the shower – the two had a date later that day.

* * *

"Oh hey, Mom…" Emily awkwardly greeted her mother when she saw her in the living room.

"You going somewhere?" Pam asked her daughter who looked… dressed up.

"Um, yea. My friend and I are… gonna grab breakfast." Emily tried to convince herself that her mother had been convinced by what she had just said.

"What friend?"

"Me. Hi, I'm Maya, a friend of Emily's. I moved to Rosewood a couple of months ago." Maya saved Emily's neck.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Pam," she stuck out her hand and shook Maya's. "Well, you two have fun. But Emily, remember that your father's leaving today."

"Alright, Mom. Bye."

"Oh my word, that was _so_ close! Thanks, I owe you one," said Emily once they had gotten into her car.

Maya just laughed.

"Maya! We could have gotten busted!" Emily's eyes widened at her girlfriend's reaction.

* * *

_Caleb: Hanna! I have a problem…_

_Hanna: What is it?_

_Caleb: … I… I…_

_Hanna: You're scaring me, Caleb. Stop irritating me and get to the point._

Caleb smiled as he read his blonde girlfriend's reply – pregnancy hormones were bringing out the 'feisty side' in her, and he kind of enjoyed it, to be honest…

_Caleb: Come outside._

_Hanna: Outside where… I'm tired. It's only 9:30… I'm not even outta bed yet…_

_Caleb: Please come outside, I'll be waiting *heart sign*_

_Hanna: *sighing face* Alright… Gimme 10 minutes._

The brown-haired boy chuckled lightly before shoving his phone back in his pocket and walking over to his girlfriend's front door. He waited outside, wanting to keep as much distance possible from Ashley, whom he knew, still didn't trust him.

A good half-hour later, the front door opened, revealing a moody blonde with 'messy' hair – in a fashionable way.

"Evening," said Caleb sarcastically, momentarily scaring Hanna.

"Caleb?! Its freaking… 10am… Why are you here?"

"We're going to see our baby, baby," Caleb smiled, taking Hanna's hand and locking her fingers with his.

"Really, Caleb? Now?"

* * *

"Mm, I love you, but we really gotta get going, Ezra," Aria said into her partner's neck.

"Oh! Right! The ultrasound!" Ezra bolted out of bed, momentarily scaring the short brunette.

"Ezra!" Aria laughed, seeing how eager Ezra was.

"Come, come, come! We've got to get going!" He put on a wonky accent, causing Aria to look at him weirdly before laughing like never before.

"Babe, chill… we still have another half-an-hour," Aria yawned and pointed at the clock.

"Rachel takes forever to get ready, trust me. Oh, I'm dropping her off at our parents' house after the ultrasound, so she'll be there with me. I hope you don't mind…"

The couple had told Rachel about the whole teacher-student situation, but now that Ezra had resigned, it really didn't matter. The pregnancy part had also come up.  
To the couple's delight, Rachel took it really well, saying something about being excited to be an aunt.

"It's cool… I'm hungry…" Aria complained, hoping that Ezra would make breakfast…

"Omelette?" he asked, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Yes, please," Aria said, batting her eyes.

"Come out in 10 minutes, alright?" He kissed her temple before walking towards the kitchen.

_'I love this guy so much,'_ Aria thought to herself.

* * *

"Caleb, I'm hungry…" Hanna muttered, yawning. Whatever – she was pregnant, what did you expect?

"You wanna stop and grab something?" he asked cautiously.

"Whatever…"

"Alright, we'll stop in five, baby." Caleb smiled to himself.

A good minute or two went by silently. Hanna decided to break it.

"Look, Caleb, I'm sorry about the way-"

"Shh… It's fine, Hanna. It really is. Don't sweat over it." Caleb smiled sweetly at his expecting-girlfriend.

"I love you," the blonde whispered before leaning on his shoulder.

He put an arm around her before focusing on the road again.

* * *

"Baby, we're here," Ezra whispered into Aria's ear – she had fallen asleep during the ride to the hospital. It really scared Ezra how much Aria slept, but _still_ checked in as 'tired'.

"Gosh, it really scares me how sweet you are with her…" Rachel snickered from the back seat.

"Shut up, blondie," Ezra shot back, laughing. It scared him too, to be honest.

"Mm… You really do fancy her, don't you…"She made it sound more like a statement than a question in her 'slightly-off-accent'.

"I love her…" said Ezra absent mindedly, looking at the still-sleeping Aria. "Aria."

"Mmm…" All he got was a soft groan from her.

"We're here… We're going to see our little baby."

"Mmm…" Aria finally opened her eyes, trying to blink the sleep away. "We're here?"

* * *

"Did you book an appointment with Dr Jean for today?" The receptionist asked. She was a really pretty blonde, and in Hanna's eyes, she was a threat.

"Hey, he's taken, so you better-"

"Yes, yes we do." Caleb cut his girlfriend off by putting his hand over her mouth.

"Alright… She'll be with you shortly."

"Eyyy… what was that?" Hanna exclaimed angrily once Caleb had literally dragged her off to another area.

"Hanna!" Caleb 'scolded', laughing.

"Are you into her?" Hanna's face didn't form a smile whatsoever.

"Baby…" Caleb leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Mm, good answer," the over-protective blonde said, pulling away and walking towards the waiting area.

* * *

"Did you book an appointment with Dr Jean for today?" The receptionist asked. She was a really pretty blonde, but in Aria's eyes, she wasn't a threat. She knew Ezra had eyes for only her and _only_ _her_.

"Yes, yes we did."

"She will be with you shortly."

"Thank-you," the couple said in unison, before walking towards the waiting area with Rachel trailing closely behind them.

"I want a coffee, Ezra…" Aria whined, not having had her caffeine that morning.

"You know it's not good for you…" Ezra trailed off, catching the death glare coming from his expecting-girlfriend's eyes. "A cappuccino coming right up!"

Ever since her pregnancy, Aria had always craved cappuccinos.

"You two really make me sick…" Rachel muttered from behind, that, earning her a playful nudge on her head by her older brother.

"Be right back," Ezra muttered in Aria's ear before giving her a quick peck.

"You know, he's never acted around anyone like that…" Rachel stared at her brother as he walked away. "Not even Jackie…"

"Oh…" Aria didn't know what kind of reaction Rachel was expecting, so that was all she could manage.

_'Not even Jackie… Not even Jackie… Not even… Not even… Jackie… Jackie…' _

Those words rang in Aria head.

* * *

"Please? Last time… please?"

"Hanna, you can't drink coffee. Especially at this stage…" Caleb tried to talk his girlfriend out of drinking coffee.

"Caleb! I freaking need coffee!" Hanna bit his head off – literally.

"Alright, Hanna. But only this once…" said the brown-haired boy cautiously before walking towards the machine.

* * *

Ezra sighed as he put in a two-dollar bill. He knew coffee wasn't good for Aria, especially at this stage of the pregnancy, but he was scared of her reaction – you can't blame him… Pregnant women _are_ the scariest species on earth.

The _English-teacher_ watched the hard paper-cup get filled with his girlfriend's coffee.

At last – it was done.

Ezra reached for the cup and secured a lid on top of it and turned around.

CRASH

He bumped into someone, causing the coffee in his hand to nearly fall to the ground. But being Mr Fitz, the one with manners, he apologised, looking at the cup to make sure there wasn't a spillage.

"I'm so sorry, I-" He stopped mid-sentence after his eyes caught his oppositions'. "Caleb?"

The hacker's eyes looked up, only to meet his English teachers'.

"Mr Fitz?! What are you doing here?" Caleb asked suspiciously. What the _hell_ was his _unmarried_ English teacher doing at a hospital specialised for _pregnancy and birth_?

"I was… eh… Just getting my… um… pregnant girlfriend a coffee…" Ezra said, smiling a fake smile and lifting the coffee.

"Oh… same here…" Caleb smiled uncomfortably. After all, it wasn't every day that you told your teacher that you had impregnated your girlfriend, at 17 years of age.

"Hanna's pregnant?" Ezra asked. It seemed a little odd…

"Well… yeah…" Caleb knew he shouldn't have said that – he mentally beat himself up for it.

"Oh… well… I gotta get back to Ar-… Rachel… I'll see you around, Mr Rivers." Ezra tried to conclude their conversation professionally, but failed miserably.

"Mr Fitz – wait… Maybe we can walk back and discuss how we're going to survive the next few crazy months?" he grinned.

Ezra laughed. "Alright. I'll need advice anyways…" He tried to cover up his worry – Aria.

* * *

"Hanna? Hanna Marin?" A voice called her from the side her back was turned onto. At first, she thought it was the nurse, but soon realised it wasn't.

"Aria? What are you doing here?" Hanna's eyes widened.

"Ultrasound… isn't that obvious?" she managed a small laugh, but her facial expression dropped too when she realised something.

"If you're here…" They both said in unison.

The Blonde and the Brunette both turned around, and to their horror, Caleb and Ezra were walking towards them together, laughing at something that one had said. They each had a coffee in their hand.

"Shit…" The two girls both muttered, worrying about Caleb – he couldn't find out, not now…

* * *

Caleb spotted Hanna and a familiar face standing next to her.

"Hey, Aria…" Caleb greeted his girlfriend's best friend before handing over the coffee to its rightful owner.

"Caleb," Aria acknowledged, glancing at Ezra. He had wide eyes, and his shoulders shrugged.

"What're you doing here?" Rivers was lost indeed.

"I called her to come." Hanna jumped in and saved Aria's butt.

"…"

"I'll introduce you to my girlfriend," Ezra quickly said, before walking to where Rachel was sitting, minding her own business.

"What the hell-" The blonde girl with glasses jumped at when her brother slipped his arm around her waist. "Ezra, what the fu-"

"Rachel, play along. We're being watched." Ezra tried his best not to look suspicious – he knew that from a distance, Caleb was watching them. "Oh, and your pregnant, just in case that comes up."

"So… I'm playing your girlfriend in this tragic play?" The blonde joked, 'putting her arms round Ezra's neck'.

"Unfortunately, yes… Now let's go. And remember, if you slip up, I'm gonna kill you." Ezra lightly chuckled although inside, he was as anxious.

"Yes, yes, love," Rachel smirked as she slipped her arm round Ezra's waist.

* * *

"Congratulations on your pregnancy, Mr Fitz," Aria innocently said, wondering what their reaction would be.

"Thank you, Miss Montgomery," replied Ezra, a smirk on his face.

Hanna sent a 'who's she?' glance at Aria. Aria signed that she'd explain later, and Hanna gave the faintest nod.

"So how long have you guys been together?" Hanna asked, sipping her coffee – this made Aria literally drool. Ezra still had her coffee, and she was dying for it.

"Um… four years?" Ezra said randomly. He stole a glance at Caleb, but he was frowning – he didn't seem to buy it…

"Please act along," Ezra quickly whispered in Rachel's ear before kissing her.

Yes, Ezra Fitz actually kissed his sister, Rachel Fitzgerald.

Aria tried _so _hard not to burst out laughing by the expression on Rachel's face.

After a good 10 seconds, they pulled away, Rachel, with a visible fake smile on her face.

Again, Ezra looked at Caleb – he looked pretty convinced now. Relief flooded him.

* * *

"Thank-you. I had a wonderful time today," Maya said softly to Emily as they walked towards the swimmer's house.

"Me too, babe," Emily said, looking into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Looks like you have mail…" the shorter brunette said, her eyes catching Emily's post box.

"Looks like I do… not that I'm expecting any…" she muttered before retrieving the letter. "It's addressed to my mom…"

"Oh? Are you gonna… open it?" Maya slowly asked.

"Maybe I should…"

The athlete's hands shook slightly as she gently opened the envelope – she didn't want her parents to find out that she had already opened it.

"Dear Mr and Mrs Fields…" Emily read the first part out loud, but the rest, she read it silently. As her eyes travelled down further and further down the page, they grew bigger and bigger.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked, trying to read over her shoulder. Emily hid is from her. She looked right into Maya's eyes before saying with a worried face…

"Maya… someone's trying to rant us out."

Just then, Emily's phone chimed.

_Bitch, this time you found it first. Next time, I'll make sure it's her body._

_Kisses, _

_-A_

Emily Fields felt sick to her stomach as she read this. **A** was talking about Maya.

More specifically, Maya's body.


	18. Chapter 18: The News

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE _**

* * *

**_Same afternoon as last chapter_**

"Oh my _fucking_ gosh, I cannot believe that you actually kissed me, Ezra Fitzgerald!" Rachel screamed for the tenth time since they arrived at Ezra's apartment.

"Listen, Blondie, I'm sorry, alright? Caleb wasn't buying it…" Ezra chuckled, putting his arm around Aria who was also having a hard time trying to maintain her laughter. "And it's Fitz."

"Whatever, you idiot…" Rachel ran to the bathroom; claiming that she needed to rinse her mouth out with gargle, or rather, _drink_ it.

"But believe me, I didn't fancy kissing you either!" Ezra faked an accent, laughing as he watched his sister.

"Some act you put on there…" Aria said to him when the blonde was out of sight.

"I know, right…"

Ezra and Aria had to cancel their ultrasound appointment with Dr Jean in order to reduce the chances of getting caught.

"To be honest, I had a heart attack when I saw you with Caleb walking towards us…" The brunette admitted, shaking her head.

"You're not the only one… When I bumped into him – literally – at the vending machine… my heart skipped a beat…"

And then there was silence…

"I don't want to hide anymore…" Aria suddenly said, looking directly into her lover's eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" He, being the English teacher, always used correct grammar.

"I don't want to hide from the public anymore… I mean, my parents know about us, the other three girls do too… I just… don't want to 'sneak around' behind peoples' backs again…" said Aria, putting air quotes around 'sneak around'.

"Oh…" It was all Ezra could manage. But, to be honest, he felt the same way towards this whole 'hiding' thing. He was no longer her teacher, which meant that no-one could come between their relationship – not even the _bloody_ law.

* * *

"Ah, Hanna, back again?" Dr Jean smiled when her eyes met the blonde's.

"Hello Doctor." Caleb tried his best to be noticed. The doctor, however, just looked at Hanna with a hint of confusion plastered on her face.

"Oh, this is Caleb… The father of my… baby…" Anyone would say you could practically _smell_ the tension in the air. "Long story short, we're back together," Hanna quickly said, looking lovingly at Caleb.

"Always good to hear," Dr Jean smiled warmly before looking down at her paperwork. "Alright, you ready? It's going to be the exact same thing as the last time."

"Yup…" the blonde nervously replied before pushing herself up onto the bed. To be honest, she didn't know why she was so… nervous about this whole thing…

* * *

"Have you felt uncomfortable at any stage?" Dr Jean asked.

"No…" Hanna replied after taking a few seconds to think. "Well, apart from the shitty morning sickness… Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Okay, you're around 11 weeks – this is when your actually supposed to have your first ultrasound, but you came earlier," the doctor said, moving the scanner around Hanna's stomach.

"Oh, okay…"

"Oh wow..." Dr Jean softly whispered, staring at the screen.

"What? What's wrong?" Caleb aggressively asked.

"Um… Hanna…"

"Jenny, please tell me what's wrong…" Hanna was on the verge of tears.

* * *

It had been quite a few days since Spencer had been released from hospital. Her parents tried to make amends, but Spencer just didn't want it.

"Please? They're trying, Spence…" Toby begged his tired girlfriend.

"Well they're not trying hard enough," she snapped, sighing out loud.

"Baby, please…" Toby tried sweet-talking, not that it worked.

"Mhmh," Spencer refused again.

"What must I do to convince you, eh?" Toby asked in that sexy tone of his. He hugged Spencer's waist and kissed her temple.

"Well, you _are_ going in the right direction, Cavanaugh," the hockey player smiled, turning around to face her partner.

"Mm? Am I?" Toby smugly said, placing a light yet sweet kiss on Spencer's nose.

* * *

"Jenny, please tell me what's wrong…" Hanna teared up.

"You're… um… you're having twins, Hanna…"

Both Hanna and Caleb failed to respond to Dr Jean – it wasn't what they were expecting – the both of them.

"T-twins?" Hanna nervously stuttered, not really feeling emotions.

"She's having twins?" Caleb said in a quiet voice.

"Congratulations?" Jenny said it more like a question than a statement.

"W-wow… twins…" The blonde softly muttered, tears escaping her eyes. Caleb gently wiped them away.

"W-would you like a sonogram of them?"

The couple nodded unison, and Jenny nervously smiled and went out of the room to give the couple a few minutes of privacy. Hanna wiped the gel off of herself and pulled her shirt back down.

"What's gonna happen?" Caleb quietly asked.

"What do you think should happen?" Hanna replied, drying her eyes.

"I love all three of you, you know that, Hanna..." Caleb made his feelings clear.

"I love you too."

* * *

Hanna and Caleb were in the car driving back home.

"You hungry, babe?" the brown-haired boy asked his girlfriend. "Hanna?"

Hanna snapped out of her daydream.

"Hm?"

"Are you hungry? Do you wanna grab something to eat?" he repeated himself, smiling.

"Uh, no, I'm not hungry, but I really need to pee…" the blonde smirked. But really, she was desperate to go to the bathroom.

"You want me to quickly pull over?"

"Yea. Pull over by The Brew."

Five minutes later, Caleb had pulled over. "I won't take long," Hanna said as she got out the car to use the bathroom at the restaurant.

"Okay."

Caleb patiently sat in the car, examining his phone for any new messages and such. He yawned and looked out the window. To his surprise, he saw Mr Fitz's girlfriend with another guy – with his arm around her, looking quite… cosy.

"Shit," he mumbled, shocked and somewhat angry at the blonde girl.

* * *

The next day at school, Caleb was on a hunt for Mr Fitz. He barged into the English class just before the bell rang.

"Mr Fitz, I need to tell you- Oh… Might you know where Mr Fitz is, Ma'am?"

"Mr Fitz resigned a couple of days ago. I'm the new English teacher, Mrs Montgomery. You are?" Ella asked the boy with the long hair.

"Caleb Rivers."

"You know Hanna Marin?" Ella asked.

"Yes. She's my girlfriend," Caleb answered, cocking his head slightly.

"Sorry, that probably seemed weird. I'm Aria's mother. She has said a lot about you and Hanna, so I was just confirming if you were the correct Caleb," she smiled warmly before turning around to start writing on the board again.

* * *

**_Lunch, Rosewood High_**

"Mr Fitz?!" Caleb shouted as he saw a familiar figure walk into the English class.

"Afternoon, Caleb. What can I do for you?" Ezra asked, raising his eyebrows. He was back to quickly grab the leftover things that belonged to him from his old classroom.

"I, um, I need to talk to you," the scholar replied, not knowing how to 'ease-in' to the subject.

"Um…" Ezra let out a sigh as he motioned for Caleb to come inside the classroom.

"Sir, I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just going to say it – your girlfriend's cheating on you."

"I beg your pardon?" Ezra frowned – there was no way Aria was cheating on him, was there? She was carrying his child, after all…

"Mr Fitz, your pregnant girlfriend is cheating on you." Caleb was frustrated – he knew what it must be like for Mr Fitz, but he had to just accept the fact and move on.

"How-… why…"

"Sir, I understand that you might be in denial for the moment, but the quicker you-"

"Are you sure you saw the correct person? Like you might have seen the wrong person…" Ezra shook his head, rubbing his hands together.

"No, sir, I assure you – blonde hair, glasses, quite tall?"

Ezra almost let out a laugh. He cursed himself for his stupidity – this boy was talking about his sister, Rachel.

"Oh… I… I think that's her, then," he said, trying to sound convincing. "Thank you, Caleb. I'll speak to her."

* * *

**_Sunday morning, hospital _**

"Ezra…" Aria whined, pulling a face.

"No, Aria, you cannot have coffee!" he laughed, taking his girlfriend's hand in his.

"But Ezra-"

"Aria Montgomery?" A nurse called.

"You're lucky," Aria muttered to her lover before walking into the doctor's office, hand in hand.


	19. Chapter 19: The Decision

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL nor the books/movies mentioned in this chapter

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

**_A few days later_**

_'And I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labour has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.'_

"Oh my gosh," Hanna whispered, a few tears rolling down her eyes as _Augustus Waters_ finished his speech. Caleb glanced over at his girlfriend and rolled his eyes. _Girls were so… emotional…_

The couple were at the movies, watching the new hit 'The Fault In Our Stars', and every now and then, Hanna would blow her nose, crying her eyes out.

The brown haired boy leaned over to his girlfriend.

"Babe, you know it's just a _fictional_ movie, right?" he asked cautiously, chuckling gently. Hanna didn't respond – too occupied with the movie. "Hanna?!"

"Caleb, shut up! This is an intense moment!" Hanna turned to face her boyfriend with wide, scolding eyes.

"Sorry I opened my mouth," he said, shaking his head but smiling to himself.

* * *

Emily yawned as she stretched – she had just opened her eyes to the sound of her phone buzzing on an early Monday morning, 10 minutes before her alarm was set to go off.

_Maya: Morning ;)_

_Emily: Morning, babe :) How'd ya sleep?_

_Maya: Mm, great… Getting ready for school now :( But I'll see you soon!_

The tanned swimmer smiled as she read this.

_Emily: See you soon xo_

Maya was _the best_ thing that had happened to her life in the past 17 years, so she Emily couldn't help feeling happy as she got out of bed for school – I mean, _who gets excited for school_, according to Hanna?

She hummed to herself as she opened her closet to find her outfit for the day.

"Hm…" she mumbled to herself, not knowing what she wanted. As she reached for the top that caught her eye, her hand felt something hard.

"What…" she muttered, scowling. Emily found the 'object' that was 'the odd one out' and turned it around so she was looking at it the right way.

_Emily, Em, Emmy… Give this to the three boys by lunch tomorrow or I'll break you up._

_XOXO _

_-A_

Emily felt sick to her stomach at the sight of her nicknames that this vermin had used. She glanced over at her clock – roughly 7 minutes extra time.

"Emily, I need to leave for work early today!" she heard her mother shout from downstairs.

"Alright, mom, I'll leave soon. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

The swimmer quickly ran to her laptop and inserted one of the three CDs. It began playing, and Emily's eyes widened as each minute passed by.

_"No… no… it's fine, I'll tell you guys… I'm… I'm…" Spencer failed to finish her sentence. Hanna carefully considered what to say._

_"She's pregnant." The blonde finally said, looking away as soon as she said her sentence._

_"Huh?" Both Aria and Emily looked confused._

_"I'm pregnant. As in there's a baby inside of me…" Spencer spoke for herself. _

_"Wha- How… Who… When…" Aria looked as shocked as Spencer herself._

_"I don't know… I found out like two days ago…" Spencer mumbled, looking down at her own fingers._

_"Who-" Emily began. Spencer cut her off._

_"Toby."_

_"Aw, Spence… we'll be here for you… always… promise," Emily said, standing up and going round the table to Spencer's side to give her a hug._

_"Thanks, guys, but you don't understand. I don't think you ever will…" Spencer said sadly, sniffing._

_"What if we could?" Hanna suddenly asked._

_"Hanna, please, this isn't the time to be-" Aria began, but was cut off by the blonde._

_"No, Aria, I'm serious. What if we could understand Spencer? Like literally, be in her shoes?" Hanna asked._

_"And what exactly are you suggesting?" Aria asked, irritated._

_"We could also fall pregnant, duh…" Hanna said, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_"Wha-… Hey… Hanna, that's the first time you've said anything smart…" Aria said, staring at Hanna._

_"Hey-" Hanna tried to argue with Aria's statement, but Spencer cut in._

_"No. Absolutely not. I'm not having you guys ruin your lives for me," Spencer said, shaking her head so hard that it looked as if it would fall off._

_"Spencer, you don't have a say in this. It's our choice and we'll decide," Hanna said, dismissing the fact that Spencer was even there. Her mind was already made up – she accidentally told the other two girls, so she was going to do whatever it took to help Spencer._

_ "But-" Spencer started._

_"No buts. If we decide to do this, we'll decide. So, Aria? Emily?" Hanna asked seriously. _

_"Yea. Of course." Aria replied without hesitating. _

_"Um… yea… sure…" Emily sounded more uncomfortable than sure._

_"Well I'm in," said Hanna, with a look on her face – a look of determination._

_"Guys, you really don't have to-"_

_"Shh, Spence." Hanna and Aria both said in unison. _

As the CD finished playing, Emily realised what this was – this bitch wanted Caleb, Ezra and Toby to find out about the pack, or the alternative would happen – Maya gets taken away.

The other two CDs were the exact copies of the first, and each had a footnote on the front of the CD with the guys' names on. Emily's hand shook violently as a few tears slipped her eyes – what was she going to do? Let six people get hurt and let three possible break-ups happen that could lead to abortions and depression, or let one person – in other words, the love of _her_ life – get hurt?

* * *

"But it's a metaphor – figurative, not literal!" Spencer argued with Mr Fitz over a sonnet that Shakespeare had written. Ella hadn't quite moved in yet – although the school had told Ezra that he could leave by the end of last week, he wanted to tie things up with his classes, whilst also giving Ella the time to adjust.

"Miss Hastings, when Shakespeare wrote this, he was trying to get people to-"

"I think it's a metaphor too," Aria cut her '_teacher'_ off, knowing where this argument or _'debate'_, as Spencer called it, was heading. Ever since Spencer had gotten pregnant, she had become even more competitive, arguing with teachers in almost every class. Almost.

"I bed your pardon, Miss Montgomery?" Ezra asked, somewhat surprised.

"I think it's a metaphor too – I mean sure, Shakespeare could've written that part, meaning for it to be literal, or whatever, but doesn't everyone interpret a poem differently? Like you can interpret it as a literal poem, but Spencer and I – we can interpret it as a figurative one, can't we?" Aria tried her best not to blush as she felt the whole class stare at her – but of course, damn blushes.

"I… I suppose so," Ezra quietly replied, seeing no point in arguing with his pregnant girlfriend in front of the class. The class remained silent; trying to process the fact the Aria Montgomery, the _quiet_ _Aria_ _Montgomery_ had beaten a teacher, a _fully_ _qualified_ teacher…  
Just then; the bell rang, signalling the end of the period and the start of their lunch break.

"Alright, read chapters seven, eight and nine, plus a filed chapter report of your choice due for the next time you have English." Mr Fitz dismissed the class in a monotone.

"Hey, I'll meet you guys by the cafeteria," Aria said, putting her books in her bag. The three other Liars nodded.

"Sorry," Spencer muttered to Aria before hugging the smaller brunette tight.

"It's fine. Just shut the door when you leave, please," Aria softly chuckled in the taller brunette's ear.

Only when Aria was positive that all the girls had left and that Spencer had shut the door, did she turn to Ezra who had a raised eyebrow – one that was demanding an explanation, but not in a harsh way.

"Babe, I'm sorry," Aria laughed lightly, leaning on her desk.

"Miss Montgomery, such behaviour will not be tolerated in my class!" Ezra said in a fake 'serious' tone, walking closer to Aria and enveloping her in a hug. "It's not a problem, Aria."

"I love you," Aria softly said, hiding her head into Ezra's neck – their bodies fit perfectly – almost like they were meant for each other.

"I love you too. And out little baby too."

* * *

**_Lunch, Rosewood High_**

"So you and Mr Fitz – you guys are okay?" Spencer asked with a mouthful of salad.

"Mhm. I told you, Spence. It's fine." Aria was looking in her bag for something.

"Okay…" Spencer mumbled, shrugging.

"Oh my gosh – speaking of '_okay_'s, Spence, have you watched 'The Fault In Our Stars'?" The blonde asked excitedly, barely able to remain seated as she literally danced in her seat.

"No… But I've read the book," the brunette replied, swallowing.

"Whoa! You haven't watched-… wait, what? There's a book?" Hanna's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. Spencer and Aria laughed while Hanna remained puzzled.

A few minutes later, the girls had moved onto another subject.

"Hey Em, why're you so quiet today?" Aria nudged the much-distracted swimmer, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Emily asked, lightly shaking her head.

"You're so distracted today… and you've barely eaten," Spencer pointed out, looking at the plate in front of her friend.

"Uh, yea… Just… big swim meet tomorrow, that's all…" Emily quickly tried to cover up her tracks.

"Oh… well, good luck for tomorrow," Spencer replied, stuffing another forkful of salad into her mouth.

"Thanks," Emily muttered sighing heavily. Just then, her phone beeped, indicating that she had received a text.

_Liar, liar, pants on fire. _

_Kisses, _

_-A_

"Emily, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Aria immediately sensed that her friend had tensed up.

"Uh, yea, yea, fine… just Maya…" Emily lied again.

"Oh…"

* * *

"Hey," Maya said, walking up to Emily.

"Hi," Emily replied, leaning in for a kiss.

"Mm, how was class?" Maya asked.

"Um… fine, I guess? And yours?"

"Good thanks," the shorter brunette replied, smiling at her girlfriend.

"Babe, as much as I want to stay, I gotta get to swim practice…" Emily pouted, kissing Maya's cheek.

"Aw, alright… Can I come over later? Study date?" Maya asked, repositioning her bag on her shoulder.

"Sure. You might as well stay for dinner, then," Emily replied, biting her lip slightly – a nervous habit.

"I'll see you later," Maya said, pecking Emily's cheek before turning to leave.

Emily watched her girlfriend as she left, smiling lovingly.

"You two make a cute couple," a voice said from behind Emily. She turned around.

"Oh, hi, Paige. Thanks…" But as she said this, the tanned swimmer let out a heavy sigh, realising that that was probably one of the last kisses she'd share with Maya.

"Why the sigh?" Paige asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh? No, no… it's… it's nothing," Emily shacked her head, giving Paige a fake smile.

_Boy, was this hard…_

* * *

"Emily, what's gotten to you today? This is the fourth time you've lost count of how many laps you've done – you've never done this before!" The coach scolded, sighing. She was stressed out about the big swim meet tomorrow – if the Sharks won, they could enter the national championships.

"Sorry, Coach." Emily sighed heavily as she took her goggles and cap off. "I'm just distracted today…"

"I can tell that much for myself. Is everything alright?" she asked, frowning.

"Yea, yea, no problem, Coach…"

"Alright. But we need to win that match tomorrow, okay?"

"I understand."

The coach turned round to walk to the other side of the pool, and Paige took the chance to talk to Emily. She got out the pool and walked over.

"Hey, Em… What's bugging you?" Paige asked, concerned.

"Huh? What makes you think there's something wrong?" Emily asked, putting a towel around herself.

"Really, Em? Ask your behaviour that question," Paige snapped, annoyed with Emily's 'act of innocence'.

"Drop it, Paige. It's nothing." The tall brunette turned around to walk towards the locker rooms, but Paige caught her by her wrist.

"Emily Fields, I know something is bugging the _living life _out of you, and you're not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about!"

Emily took a deep breath in before exhaling sharply. "Paige, let go of my arm. I'll tell you by the locker rooms."

* * *

"So… you remember I told you that there's this… stalker… out there somewhere?" Emily cautiously asked. She had told Paige about **A **before – Paige was her friend.

"**A**?" Paige answered, or more like asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea, that one."

"What's he, she, whatever, doing this time?" Paige closed her eyes, afraid of the answer.

"I… I can't tell you… but… Paige, I'm so scared. It's either ending my relationship, or three – no, six, of my friends'…" Tears finally escaped Emily's eyes as she managed to choke out.

There was silence for a few minutes.

"So… When are you going to break-up with Maya?" Paige asked gently, finally breaking the silence. Emily turned her head to stare at her.

"How… how did you know-…" Emily stuttered.

"Because, I know you, Emily Fields – you would never hurt your friends… even if it means hurting yourself – and that's what worries me the most, Em. You always want to please other people, and you'll end up disappointing yourself one day…" The Stanford recruit smiled sadly, leaning in to hug Emily.

_'Am I that predictable? … But is it a good thing or a bad thing?'_ Emily thought to herself as she cried into the other girl's embrace.

* * *

"No, but we're gonna need a name sooner or later!" Spencer argued with Toby as they sat on her bed, flipping through a book of baby names – Toby had claimed that all this was _way_ too early. Most sane people would agree.

"Babe, be reasonable – you're like… 14 weeks or so into the pregnancy, you don't know the gender yet, and you already want to name the baby?!" Toby fought back, astonished at Spencer's suggestion.

"Toby, I am 13 weeks and 6 days pregnant, not 14!" Spencer raged at the top of her lungs, taking a deep breath in once she had finished.

Toby chucked at this, "Spencer, shh, calm down." He hugged her from the back, gently kissing her temple.

"I'm sorry…" Spencer softly said, closing her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you more."

* * *

Emily was sitting on her bed, stressing over how she was going to 'break the news' to Maya. This bed – where she woke up, approximately 13 hours ago, feeling so happy and so privileged to have Maya in her life… and now…

"Hey… your mom let me in." Emily heard _her_ voice and immediately turned around. She had to do this – for the sake of 6 loved ones.

"I'm glad you're here… we… uh… we need to talk…" the taller brunette fake smiled, getting off of her bed, sighing for the millionth time that day.

"Aren't we already?" Maya winked, leaning into Emily for a kiss. However, the swimmer pushed her away – as gently as she could.

"No, uh… Maya… I…" Emily tried her best to hold back her tears, "we need to break up."

"…"

"I said we need to-"

"I heard you…" Maya cut Emily off, frowning deeply.

"Look, I'm… I'm really sorry… it- it's not you, it's… it's me… I… I just don't think I can do this anymore…" Emily turned away from her now-ex-girlfriend, blinking back the tears that threatened to ruin everything… well, everything was already ruined…

"Did… did I do something?" Maya asked in a soft voice, tears rolling down her cheeks, "I mean, I thought you loved me?"

"Apparently, I didn't. Not enough…" Emily tried to be cool about this, but it was too painful. "You need to leave. Now."

* * *

The swimmer lay in her bed, silently screaming at herself for her stupidity. Her face was covered in her own tears and her body shook violently.

'_To hell with you, -A,_' thought Emily as tears created a stream, then a river, then an ocean on her face. _'When I find out who you are, I'll kill you. With my bare hands.'_

And that is how Emily Fields fell asleep this night, her face, covered in tears, and her actions, covered in regret.

Only when she fell into a deep sleep, did her phone buzz loudly, but not loud enough to wake her.

_How kind of you, kiddo. You'll soon regret your decision._

_-A_

This is what Emily woke up to the next morning.


	20. Chapter 20: The Great Depression

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**_Warning: LANGUAGE_**

* * *

_'How messed up is my life…'_ Emily thought to herself as she lay in bed, too tired to cry.  
She heard a knock at her door, followed by her mother's voice.

"Emily?"

She didn't answer, but just stared out the window from her position on the bed.

Pam walked into her daughter's room, finding Emily with a straight face, staring out the window and still in bed on a school day.

"Honey, are you alright?" Pam asked frowning. "Emily?!"

"Have you never heard of knocking?" Emily muttered, blinking heavily.

"Emily, is something going on at school?" A mother's instincts.

"Nope, nothing whatsoever. I'm leaving, mom. See you later." Emily dragged herself out of bed and grabbed her school bag that lay on her chair.

"Aren't you gonna wash up? Change? Have breakfast?" the smartly dressed woman asked.

"What's the point…" the swimmer mumbled, walking into the bathroom – a nice way to start another _amazing, __exciting_ day.

* * *

"No, but I don't get how-" Toby stopped his whispering when he saw Spencer come down the stairs, smartly dressed for school.

"G'morning," Caleb added to Hanna who had slept over for the night along with Aria – but for obvious reasons, Mr Fitz wasn't with Caleb and Toby.

"Any reason why you guys are here?" Hanna had nearly tripped when she heard Caleb's voice – the boys had showed up unexpectedly.

"Just wanting to see my beautiful girlfriend… problem with that?" the shaggy haired boy smirked, pulling the blonde in for a quick kiss.

"Were gonna make breakfast. Any of you guys want any? Toast and scrambled eggs." Spencer made her way to the kitchen once both boys shook their heads, indicating that they didn't want any.

"I'm going to help her… be right back," Hanna turned back to face Caleb, quickly pecking his lips before taking off after Spencer. Aria, of course, who found it awkward to stay with the two boys, bolted after Hanna too.

"As I was saying, how are Hanna, Spencer and Aria all pregnant at the same time?" Toby whispered again, turning back to Caleb. The girls had told them that all three of them were pregnant a few days ago.

"Coincidence?" Caleb shrugged – it wasn't a rare thing, teenage pregnancy these days.

"Maybe…" Toby too shrugged, relaxing his eyebrows.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, the three Liars were having a similar conversation.

"Don't you think they'll find it kinda suspicious how we're all preggo at the same time?" Hanna whispered once Spencer, Aria and herself were in the kitchen.

"Well it was your damned idea to tell them," Spencer snapped at the blonde.

"Geez, sorry," Hanna rolled her eyes, frustrated at the situation.

"Yea, guys, why don't you say it louder," the short brunette said sarcastically, sick and tired of watching her two best friends bicker.

"Do you think they'd be mad…?" the tall brunette asked, frowning.

"Spence, I know you're usually the smart one, but gosh, you can be so stupid at times… We practically ruined their lives, you know…" Ever since the three girls got pregnant, Hanna had been the most emotional one.

"Hanna!" Aria scolded, her eyes widening. "You're going too far now."

"Ug, let her be…" Spencer sighed, walking over to the toaster. "You guys hungry? 'Cause I am…"

* * *

_Dedicated to my dearest Emmy… Aren't they having a good time? Even with your absence? But don't feel left out, babe. I'm always around!_

_Xoxo_

_-A_

Below this sick text was a picture of Aria with her hair in a fish plait, Spencer and Hanna all sitting on Spencer's bed, laughing and having a good time.

"What the…" Emily mumbled, blinking her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating or anything. Normally, Emily wouldn't feel bothered about this, but today… She'd just lost Maya, saving her friends from their hell breaking loose. Something just boiled up inside of her, and tears started escaping her eyes without permission.

* * *

**_School, just before first period, Rosewood High_**

The swimmer was standing by her locker, roughly shoving books inside it.

"Hey," she heard a familiar voice behind her, but she didn't look back.

"Hi."

"You okay?" Spencer asked, sticking out her arm to hand Emily a coffee that she had purchased for her.

"Fine." The swimmer took it, a bit too roughly.

"Really?" Spencer dragged the word out, raising an eyebrow – her smug face.

"Yes, Spencer, I'm fine. Now if you'd leave me alone, I'd be much more fine," Emily snapped at the pregnant brunette, slamming her locker and walking towards English – first period.

"Whoa, who's the pregnant one over here?" Spencer smirked, taking all this in as just another joke. "Emily? You sure you okay?"

"Spencer, stop asking. I already told you I was fine."

"Alright…"

"What did you do last night?" Emily casually asked, trying to stay calm.

"Um… nothing much… you know, the usual…" Now, as good as Spencer was at lying, she couldn't help herself but doubt her own lie that she told Emily, a fellow liar.

"No, I don't know the usual. What did you do?" the swimmer repeated her question, smiling a fake, but convincing smile to her friend, and taking her phone out at the same time.

"Um, just at home… you know… homework and such…" Spencer hated lying to Emily, but she felt bad for not inviting her to the sleep-over – but, it was for pregnant teen mothers, after all… and the last time she checked, Emily was nowhere near pregnant.

"Oh, really…" Emily questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Yea, Spencer, this looks like 'homework and such'."

The swimmer roughly shoved her iPhone in Spencer's face, with the screen showing the picture that **A **had sent her this morning.

"Where'd you get this from?" Spencer swallowed, feeling like a total jerk.

"Where do you think?"

"Are you seriously taking things from **A** and using it against your best friends?!" Spencer snapped , shaking her head towards Emily. "Unbelievable."

"Well deny it, then. Look me in the eye and tell me this is fake – that **A** created this damn picture, Spencer. Look me in the eye." The swimmer's eye welled up with tears, but she refused to go down without a fight.

Spencer couldn't bring herself to look her friend in the eye – lying or not. "I… I can't…"

"Wow… I thought you'd at least try fight for your sake…" Emily shook her head in disgust, grinding her teeth.

"But why the hell are you so… angry about a sleepover? It's not like we had a massive party!" The guilty brunette now tried to fight for her dignity.

"Wow, Spencer. For someone as smart as you to play dumb… It's sick man."

"What the hell, Emily. What's your damn point over here?" A few people glanced over at them. "It was just a small sleepover!"

"Well I'm going through some things that aren't exactly the best things to go through, and I'd like it if I had some real friends around me, so guess what, I'll go find one." As the swimmer turned to leave, she was yanked back by Spencer, who didn't like the idea of Emily obsessing over nothing.

"Let go of my arm, Spencer. You aren't exactly my favourite person in the world right now," Emily clenched her teeth, fighting the urges to break down, then and there.

"We're not done talking, Emily. I want to why the _hell_ you're so upset over such a small thing!"

"Well maybe it's because I ended my relationship to save yours! And everyone else's! " She regretted it the moment she said it, but it was too late. Far too late. Everyone standing in the hallway was now staring at them, and Emily had tears running down her face like never before.

"What the hell are you taking about? You and Ben ended things ages ago." The shorter brunette frowned, shaking her head, as if not believing it.

"Yea, just think that, Spencer. And leave me alone," said an upset Emily, running towards the bathroom.

Spencer stood there like a scarecrow, not knowing what on earth her 'un-expecting' friend was talking about.

* * *

**_After school, Spencer's house_**

That afternoon, the three pregnant Liars were at Spencer's house, desperately trying to reach Emily's phone. Aria claimed that she had seen their swimmer friend just before lunch, but not after that, and they felt like they shouldn't go to her house – an act of giving her some space.

"You don't think there's something going on, do you?" Spencer's guilty face asked, pacing up and down.

"Are you kidding? I mean, if **A **'s behind it, Em's in so much danger…" Hanna had tears in her eyes, and she looked like she would faint.

"Han? Have you eaten anything today?" Aria looked at her blonde friend, sick with worry? What if she had started _that_ again?

"Uh, yea… I'm fine… just tired…" Hanna quickly answered, her mind, still on Emily. "And worried…"

"We'll figure it out, okay? Spencer comforted her friend, knowing that she had to be strong – for the three of them.

* * *

"I love you. And I miss you so, so, so much," Emily quietly whispered, tears, having a running race on her face. She was looking at a picture of Maya and herself – a framed photo that sat on her bedside table.

"Emily, honey! Someone's here to see you!" she heard her mother call from downstairs, but she chose to ignore it. A couple of minutes later, she heard a knock at the door. Emily quickly put the frame, face down, and got up to open her door.

"P-Paige?" Emily managed to say, surprised to see that her 'friend' was standing in her doorway without warning.

"Hi, Em." The two hugged and the anchor of the swim team stepped aside to let the partially-read-haired-girl in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Checking on you…" Paige replied, looking into Emily's eyes.

"Why…"

"Because I know what happened with you and Maya…" Paige continued to stare into Emily's eyes – Emily felt as if Paige was… looking right through her.

"And how would you know that we broke up?" Emily asked, suspicion rising by the second.

"You didn't show up to swim practice today, Em. And knowing you, you never miss practice unless… I dunno… unless something between life and death was going on… And your mood, jeez, your mood…"

Emily managed a small laugh, "is it _that_ obvious?"

"Sorta…" Paige giggled, making Emily smile a little. "Hey, Em?"

"Yea?"

For a minute or two, there was silence. Emily stared out the window, while Paige's eyes roamed all over Emily's face and body. As Emily turned her head towards Paige, lips were met with lips. For a second or two, Emily was too shocked to react – she just sat there, with her eyes wide, not knowing what to do.

Just then, the swimmer's bedroom door burst open, revealing Spencer with Aria and Hanna behind her. Paige jumped away from Emily, due to the fact that the tanned girl was still in shock, but the three other Liars had seen it all. Spencer abruptly stopped, her eyeballs nearly popping out, and her jaw, hitting the floor.

"What the _hell_, Emily?! You make us think that **A**'s after your blood, make up some crazy shit about a relationship, and you're sitting in bed, kissing another _girl_?! Girl?!"

"Spence-"

"No. Just… oh my gosh, you're unbelievable. Hanna nearly collapsed earlier because she thought you were dying or something and we walk in on-… Oh my soul!" Spencer shouted, angry tears escaping her eyes. "Come, guys. We're out of here."

With her three best friends gone, Emily sat there, motionless, her head in her hands.

"Go away, Paige. Please go."


	21. Chapter 21: Rachel's Surprise

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_Previously on 'Pregnant Little Liars'_

_Spencer, Aria and Hanna walk in on Paige kissing Emily._

_"No. Just… oh my gosh, you're unbelievable. Hanna nearly collapsed earlier because she thought you were dying or something and we walk in on-… Oh my soul!" Spencer shouted, angry tears escaping her eyes. "Come, guys. We're out of here."_

_With her three best friends gone, Emily sat there, motionless, her head in her hands. _

_"Go away, Paige. Please go."_

* * *

As soon as Emily heard Paige's car drive off, she changed into a Rosewood High swimming costume, and put on her running shoes. The weather was boiling, but she needed some fresh air – take a jog, whatever. Then, she'd dive into the pool and do laps until her body surrendered completely. This routine was usually saved for really stressful days, when she felt like she wanted to just detach herself from this damned world and drift into another world – her world. She found herself a pair of earphones before running out of the house as if it was on fire. As soon as she set foot outside her front door, a heat wave washed over her already-warm-body. The toned swimmer put her music on before jogging slowly, or more precisely, jogging towards school.

A good ten minutes later, Emily turned a corner, but just as she did so, she walked, well, jogged, into someone, and according to the brunette's good nature, apologies came first, even when you were having a crappy day.

"I'm so sorry, are you alright-…" Emily had begun her infamous apology speech, when her eyes met the victim's eyes. "M-Maya…"

"Hello, Emily."

The _exes_ exchanged awkward 'hellos'.

"Um… How've you been?" the taller brunette asked, not knowing what to exactly say – you never know what to say to an ex.

"I've been better-" Maya was cut off from another voice calling her.

"Maya! Come on, we're gonna be late!"

"I'm coming!" the shorter brunette called back, before turning to Emily again. "I'm sorry, but I gotta go.

"Um, sure, no problem…" _Damn it, Maya. It's a freaking huge problem!_

"Goodbye, Emily."

The swimmer watched her ex-girlfriend walk away with another guy, his arm around her shoulder. They were laughing. Laughing. Laughing? Laughing.

_'She's moved on so quickly,'_ Emily thought to herself as a few tears ran down her cheeks. It's never easy to watch someone you're in love with, be in love with another person. And to Emily, it felt like history was repeating itself. You know, Alison.

* * *

"Yes," Emily muttered to herself when she saw that the pool was empty. She turned to go into the locker rooms, when she bumped into someone. This day was getting better and better!

"S-sorry-… Paige…"

"H-hi…"

"What are you doing here?" the tanned swimmer asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Um, just, you know… training…" the other swimmer mumbled, managing a small smile.

"Oh… okay… Um, I should get going…"

"No! Stay – I mean, don't let me distract you from your training…" Paige tried to stop Emily from leaving.

"Paige… I-… I don't know what I should be feeling towards you…"

"What do you mean?"

"You… you kissed me when you knew that I had just broken up with someone that I'm still in love with – it's like you took advantage of me…" Emily sighed, closing her eyes.

"Em…"

"No, Paige. I can't. Not now. Have a good swim." And with that, Emily walked out of the school and turned to head back home.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

* * *

After Spencer, Aria and Hanna had 'stormed' out of poor Emily's house, they separated, each going to meet their respective boyfriends, so Spencer called Toby over, Hanna called Caleb over, and Aria went to her _favourite_ teacher's - well, ex-teacher's - apartment.

"Ah, Miss Montgomery, what can I do for you?" A sly grin smirked up Ezra's face, causing Aria to smile lightly.

"Hey. You busy?" Aria softly asked, causing Fitz to pick up that something wasn't right.

"No, of course not," he replied as he stepped aside to let Aria in, "what's wrong?"

"Uh… I… I just need you." The petite brunette hugged her boyfriend's torso, burying her head in his neck, "today was an interesting day…"

"You wanna talk about it?" Ezra mumbled into Aria's hair.

"Not now. Later. Right now, let's order Chinese and watch old, old, old black and white movies, kay?"

"Okay," he smiled as he kissed her temple. It was never _looked_ right to others – a teacher-and-student-relationship, but it had always _felt_ right.

* * *

"I love you," Spencer muttered as soon as she saw Toby in her living room before running up to him and collapsing in his arms.

"Spence, what's wrong?" a very surprised Toby questioned, wide-eyed.

"No, no, nothing. It's just… things are so complicated now, between us three and Emily. I just… Ug…" The tall brunette didn't even know where to begin.

"Shh, shh, calm down… it'll be fine – you always figure something out," Toby chuckled to himself, tightening his embrace on her.

"I hope so… Hey, will you help me study? I have a huge French test coming up and I don't know if I know all my things… I made flash cards-" Spencer tried to get up, but Toby held her down.

Laughing Toby said, "Spencer Hastings, unsure if she knows all her things for a test? Impossible."

"Hey! It's not funny! That test makes up like… ten percent of the semester's report mark!"

"I was kidding," Toby smirked, "but right now, how about some quiet time, hm?"

He leaned down and kissed her.

"Mhm, sounds good," replied Spencer, taking her lips off of his for a second to reply.

* * *

"NononononoIcan'tdealwiththisrightnow. Doyouknowwhathappenedtoday? WellfirstwewalkinonEmilykissinganothergirl, thenwe-"

"Baby, shh, shh…" Caleb stared at the blonde that had just walked in through the door.

"NononoCalebyoudon'tknowwhathappened-"

"Hanna." His firm voice cut her off, "just… breathe, okay? Breathe…"

Hanna took a couple of deep breaths before sighing heavily and walking towards the kitchen.

After she had had a cup of ice-cold water, Caleb took her by her hand and led her to the couch, sitting her down.

"Okay, _now_ you can explain to me what on _earth_ you were trying to say earlier," he laughing lightly, pulling his smug face.

"I'm too tired now…" the blonde replied, snuggling closer to her boyfriend before putting her head on his chest. "Can we just… stay like this for a few seconds?"

"Why not?" He kissed her cheek and a few moments later, Hanna fell asleep, exhausted from the short day's drama and constant worries.

* * *

"I can't wait to find out if it's a girl or a boy…" Ezra said absent mindedly, gently caressing Aria's arm.

"Mm, me too… But do you want a girl or a boy?" Aria faced Ezra and their eyes met – eyes filled with both passion and love.

"I wouldn't mind. If it's a girl, we have a princess, and if it's a boy, we have a prince…"

"Cliché, Mr Fitz, cliché…" Aria teased her boyfriend, gently kissing his cheek.

Just as Ezra was about to reply to his girlfriend's 'sneaky' comment, they both heard a voice coming right outside Ezra's apartment.

_'Yea, of course. I love you too, babe. I'll see you tomorrow. Mhm, yup. Sure, I can do that… Yup… Okay, goodnight, sleep tight, mwah!' _

And the door opened.

In walked Rachel, humming softly to herself.

"Where were you?"

Ezra's voice had startled the poor blonde, making her jump a feet or two.

"E-E-Ezra. Aria…" Rachel hastily said, throwing a smile at the couple, "I didn't know you'd be home."

"Uh, this was _my_ apartment, the last time I checked…" Ezra raised an eyebrow – that _totally_ _sexy_ look of his.

"Right, right…"

"Who were you talking to?" Aria jumped in.

"Um… my mum?" Rachel was a terrible liar.

"Oh yea, and also the last time I checked, you didn't call mom '_babe'_," Ezra pulled his smug face that clearly read, _'I gotcha red handed'_.

"Alright, alright, you caught me. But first can I go wash up before I start… 'spilling the beans'?" the blonde admitted defeat and pushed her glasses up, smiling 'innocently' at her older brother.

"Oh, so you _are_ seeing someone, eh?" The English teacher smirked.

"I'm walking away."

"You're coming back!" Ezra laughed before turning to Aria. "I had _no idea_ she had a boyfriend…"

* * *

When Hanna Marin woke up from her 'nap', it was well past 7pm. However, she didn't feel Caleb next to her.

"Caleb?" she called out, just to be sure. "Caleb?"

The blonde walked to the kitchen island, where a note lay.

_Picking up dinner, will be back real soon. _

_Love you._

_Caleb_

She smiled at the note before walking back to the couch to await her 'delivery-man'.

* * *

"Rachel, it shouldn't take you thirty minutes to wash up!" the blonde's brother called from his position on the couch.

"Ezra, hold your tongue and wait!"

"You guys are so adorable," Aria teased, smirking at Ezra, "you're like little kids again."

"Well, we were quite close when we were young… Wesley got all the attention and love, so we just... got used to having each other…"

"Here, here, I'm out. Now before you bombard me with questions, I'd just like to clear up – no, I have NOT slept with him. Okay, begin your questions." Rachel plopped down onto the couch with a towel around her head.

"Um, that's not what we were going to ask, but… good to know!" Ezra said, wide-eyed. Aria just laughed.

"So, what his name?" Aria asked in her girliest tone.

"You wouldn't know him," Rachel giggled, shaking her head.

"Aw, c'mon, Rach! What's his name?!"

"Jason."

Aria stared at the blonde at the mention of his name. _Jason_? Had she heard correctly?

"Um… Jason?"

"Yup. Jason DiLaurentis. The _perfect_ guy," Rachel swooned, drifting off into a world of fantasy.

Aria couldn't believe her ears. _Jason DiLaurentis_? No _freaking_ way.

* * *

"What's taking him so long?" Hanna mumbled to herself, picking up her phone to try call him.

_'The number you have dialled does not exist.'_

"What...?" Hanna's face had surprise written all over it. The number does _not_ _exist_? What was this? Some cruel prank?

A feeling in Hanna's gut told her this was heading for a big crash.


	22. Chapter 22: Aria's Speech

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

**_Next day, Rosewood High_**

"Hey," Hanna greeted, hugging Aria.

"Hey," the short brunette replied, returning the embrace.

"Have you seen Caleb today?" Hanna asked, pulling away from their hug. "He left last night to fetch us dinner and haven't returned since…"

"Oh? No messages? No calls?... It's not likely of him, is it?" Aria asked, frowning.

"Yea… I'm worried – something tells me **A** is involved…"

"Don't go there, Hanna. Think positively. I'm sure he's here somewhere… I gotta get to class, but I'll see you for lunch. If you haven't seen him by then, we'll round the others up and track him down," Aria chuckled, walking away from the blonde.

"Okay," Hanna forced a smile before whispering to herself. "Please be safe."

Just as Hanna set foot in her History class, her phone beeped. The blonde let out a sigh as she read it.

_Han_

_Sorry about last night. Emergency stuff came up. No school today, I'll come by later. Love you. _

_Caleb_

"Damn idiot," Hanna muttered to herself before finding her seat. She had been worried sick…

* * *

**_English Class_**

"Yes, yes, Dan, we get the point of the existence of toothbrushes," an irritated Mrs Montgomery said in a monotone to Dan, a boy who had just presented his speech. Based on toothbrushes.

"But Mrs Mont-"

"You may take a seat. We need to get at least half the class done today, and at this rate, we won't get a quarter done. Aria, you're next." Ella fished out another rubric page from her drawer before letting out a sigh. She prayed that her daughter had prepared well, or she was going to lose it. Speeches were terrible, for both teacher and the student.

Tiny , pregnant Aria stood in front of the class before taking a deep breath in and slowly exhaling. She glanced over at her mother before starting, rather confidently.

_What if we lived in a world where seeking help wasn't seen as being 'weak'? What if everyone in the world was aware of what goes on behind closed doors? Locked doors? _

_The world would benefit _so much_ if Mental Health was included in the National Curriculum. __**But why should it be included, **__you ask? Because I believe, raising awareness and constantly being told is the only way people learn._

_So many people suffer silently; because in the world that you and I live in at this stage – asking for help – it's considered as an extremely inferior thing to do. But did you know that one in three people suffer from depression? Or that three people in every class suffer from a DIAGNOSABLE mental disorder? Yes, that means in this class, right this one here, three of us are suffering. Maybe even silently. _

_But no, apparently, these things don't matter. I mean, we'd much rather sit in a… Maths class, trying to figure out how many decimal numbers there are in the number Pi…_

_Why are some things so taboo to talk about? Anorexia? Self-harm? Substance abuse? These are real things – they exist, and _so many people _are affected by them!_

_I personally think it's such an 'uncomfortable' subject because people don't really talk about it. Apart from a psychologist or a therapist's office, the term "metal health" is as good as non-existent._

_Let's take depression as an example. Most people think that depression is no big deal; that sufferers can just 'snap out of it', and that cancer is like, the number one, top sickness. _

_No._

_Depression is sometimes even more dangerous than caner. If the cancer is discovered in its early stages, your chances of surviving are quite high – not all the time, but about sixty percent of the time. But depression? It's like you've suddenly become lego-man size, and this, gigantic, heavy bowl has been placed on top of you, trapping you inside. Darkness. No light. The worst thing? No-one notices. You suffocate and you gradually die…_

_Sadly, the world _is_ programmed to have negative and unsupportive people everywhere, but don't you think at least one person would change their mind, or even their attitude towards mentally ill people if they were educated on it? _

_Role change. Put yourself in the victim, or the 'sufferer's' shoes. Would you want fingers pointed at you when you reached out for help, or the alternative, loving and understanding minds supporting you? _

_I look forward to the day when saying, 'I have a mental disorder and I need help' can be as natural, as _okay_, as saying, 'I have the flu, so I need to go to the doctor'._

The class mumbled amongst themselves as Aria made her way back to her seat, quite proud of the way she had delivered the message – her message. She turned her head to look at her mother who was smiling to herself while marking the rubric – Aria knew that she (her mother) would understand the topic, mainly because Mike had had depression.

"Thank you, Aria. Spencer, you're up." Ella smiled at Spencer who shot up, more ready than ever.

* * *

**_Lunch, Rosewood High_**

"Hey, Han, you heard from him yet?" Aria nudged her friend as she sat down with her lunch tray.

"Oh hey, Aria. Yea, I did. He texted me earlier," the blonde replied, chowing on a juicy burrito.

"Good. Any specific reason why he decided to go MIA?" the brunette asked, taking a bite of her vegetarian burger.

"Apparently, he had an 'emergency'," Hanna replied, putting air quotes around the word 'emergency'.

"Classy Mr Rivers, Han," Aria giggled, pregnancy hormones all over the place.

Fifteen minutes later, Aria got up to go to the bathroom, and Spencer and Emily still hadn't joined the blonde's table. Hanna sat alone, picking at her three-quarter eaten burrito.

"Ug," the blonde heard a grunt come from her right. She turned her head lazily to investigate what was going on.

To her right, she spotted a slightly tanned-skinned-girl carrying three boxes that looked rather heavy.

"Hey. Want a hand?" Hanna generously offered, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, sure, if you don't mind. Thanks," the other girl smiled lightly before frowning again due to the weight of the boxes.

"Yea, well, I'm a loner, as you can see, so I'll just take this one…" Hanna reached for the box that was on the very top of the stack. "Damn, girl! This one alone is heavy!"

"Ha, you eventually get used to it if you take Drama," the girl smirked, resuming her walk. Hanna followed closely behind.

"You can just dump it there," she said, pointing to the floor once she had put hers down, "I'll get one of the guys to take them inside."

"Alright…" the blonde struggled a little, but managed to put the box of props on the floor.

"Thanks again," the girl smiled, cracking her neck. "Would've been much tougher alone."

"Not a problem. I'm Hanna, by the way." For the first time, the blonde girl took a close look at the raven-haired girl in front of her. This girl was quite a bit shorter than herself.

"I'm Maya. Maya St Germain."


	23. Chapter 23: Gas Leak

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_"I'm Maya. Maya St Germain."_

"You're the new girl, right? I think I have Art with you… third period, Mrs Jones?" the blonde asked.

"Yup. Funny I'm _still_ known as the 'new girl', taking into consideration that I've been attending Rosewood High since the beginning of the semester," Maya managed a laugh, throwing Hanna her famous signature smirk, "and yea, that's me, sittin' at the back!"

Hanna giggled, "hey, do you have a partner for the assignment yet?"

"Um, no, not yet," Maya admitted, grinning.

"You wanna do it together?!" Hanna squealed, excited.

"Sure! Hey, maybe you could come over later and we could work on it?" the raven-haired girl suggested. "Did you take the bus to school today?"

"Yea," the taller girl replied, making a face – she didn't like school buses, but her own one was currently in repairs.

"Okay, how 'bout you meet me in the courtyard after school today – I'll give you a ride."

"Sounds good, man. See you later, Maya!" the blonde said as she turned to go back into the cafeteria to finish her lunch.

"See you then!" Maya echoed, walking off in the opposite direction. If only she knew she was being watched…

* * *

"Han, are you busy after school today? I need your help with something…" Spencer's voice interrupted the blonde's conversation with Aria, as she walked up to the table alongside with Emily, who looked as if she hadn't slept for days.

"_You _need _my _help? With what, _fashion_?" Hanna snickered, teasing her friend.

"Whatever. I need your help with my Science project," Spencer said, laughing along.

"Well, first come first serve, Spence! I'm doing an Art project with this girl from class," Hanna informed the other three Liars.

"Damn, but I need your help…"

The rest of lunch-period was a tad bit tense, with Emily's eyes constantly moving over the cafeteria.

"You alright, Em?" Aria asked, placing a forkful of salad into her mouth. "Em!"

"What? Yea? Huh? Ug, yea, I'm fine, just a little tired…" The short brunette threw her swimmer-friend a suspicious look, but said nothing more.

"Well, guys, I gotta get to class. History starts soon," Spencer said as she wiped her mouth with a serviette, getting up from the table.

Just then, the bell rang, signalling the learners to get to their respective classes.

"See ya!" Aria swung her bag over her shoulder, picking up her tray as she stood. She nudged Emily who looked dead to the world. "Earth to Em? It's Physics."

"Huh, yea. I know the bell rang," the swimmer abruptly snapped, shaking her head. Emily stood up, and nearly tripping, headed to class.

"What's up with her?" Aria asked, puzzled.

"Who knows?" Hanna replied, shrugging, drinking her last sip of coffee.

* * *

Emily sat in Physics, staring at the diagrams that were drawn in the textbook, not that she was concentrating… Maya, Maya, Maya. That was all that was in the swimmer's head. And that new guy that had his arm around Maya. _Her_ Maya.

"Ug," Emily softly groaned when her phone beeped. She didn't want any complications now, with all the **A **business that had been up.

_Hey Em, you wanna study together tomorrow? _

_-Han_

The brunette sighed and switched her phone off, deciding to ignore the blonde's message. She didn't feel like doing anything that didn't concern Maya. Nothing at all.

* * *

Hanna waited for a reply from Emily, but when the blonde realised that her swimmer friend wasn't going to reply any time soon, she set off for the courtyard, in hopes of finding Maya ASAP.

"Hey, you ready to go?" the blonde's voice caused Maya to look up from her music notebook.

"Oh hey, I thought you'd ditched me." And there kicked in Maya's attitude that Hanna liked so much.

"Nah, I wouldn't do that to a person as awesome as you," the blonde smirked.

"C'mon, I don't wanna stay another second in this hell hole," Maya chuckled, dragging her new friend out of the school building.

Hanna got in the passenger's seat. "So, tell me about yourself."

"Well, where do you want me to start?" Maya raised an eyebrow.

The blonde smirked, "anything and everything. Like your background, whatever."

"Hm, well, my name's Maya St Germain, but you already know that… Music is my passion," the raven-haired girl began talking, starting up her engine, "I also love drama and, obviously, Art… Um… I have straight A's on my report even though I ditch half my classes… I have an older brother, Dante, who's visiting for the week from the army, but don't worry, he's not at home now – we should get the house to ourselves… Hm… oh, and I'm bisexual."

Hanna smiled. She wasn't bothered in any way regarding the fact that Maya was so open about her sexuality. In fact, the blonde appreciated it. So many people were ashamed of who they were these days. The world needed more people like Maya.

"It's good that you're so open about it," Hanna nudged her new friend, "I like Art too, but I suck at it… I don't like school, I love pizza and junk food, and I _love_ sleeping."

The two girls kept the conversation going until they arrived at Maya's house – talking to each other came so naturally, as if they had been friends for _ages_.

"So, do you have a love interest?" Hanna grinned, getting out of the car.

"When you say 'love interest', does food and music count?" Maya winked at the blonde as she led the way to her front door, and into the house.

Hanna scoffed, dragging the word out, "hey… seriously, though."

The tanned girl blushed. "Fine… I did have someone for a while…"

"Girl or guy?!" Hanna asked, all jumpy and excited.

"Past tense, my friend… Something happened and _she_ just dumped me out of the blue…" Maya admitted, "I don't know why, but she looked… somewhat… scared?"

"Who is-… who was it?" Hanna asked instantly, almost like she was too eager. She didn't know why, but she had this strange sensation in her stomach.

The darker girl hesitated, "um, I don't think I should say, since she was closeted… and she didn't want anyone to know... she wanted to keep it a… secret?"

"Aw, come on, just tell me – I can keep secrets…" Hanna begged. Of course she could keep secrets – how do you think she wasn't sitting in juvie right now, serving her years for lying to the _cops_?

Maya hesitated again, even more than the last time. She eventually let out a sigh before revealing her secret love. "Emily."

"Emily?" the blonde questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. Emily Fields. Rosewood High's swim captain. Gorgeously tanned, has a great sense of-" Maya stopped talking when she looked at Hanna's reaction, or rather, Hanna's facial expression. "Um, Hanna?"

"Emily F-Fields?" Hanna was frozen. She had to clarify if she had heard correctly…

"Uh… yea… Y-you know her?" Maya's voice came out nervous.

"Know her? Hell, I practically _live _with her!" Hanna's voice came out angry. "She's my best friend!"

Maya's face dropped. She knew she had just added gas to the fire.

* * *

"Ug," Spencer groaned, feeling sick from the smell that was coming from her kitchen once she had opened the front door.

"Hey babe," came Toby's voice.

"Oh hey, Tobes. Are you cooking something?" the brunette asked, closing the door behind her before walking up to her boyfriend, pecking his cheek.

"Um, yea. Your favourite, mac and cheese."

"Oh…" Spencer mumbled, not liking the smell at all. "I don't think the baby likes it."

"Huh?" Toby frowned, wrapping his arms around his expecting-girlfriend.

"I mean, I don't think the baby likes mac and cheese…" Spencer whispered, closing her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing so she wouldn't throw up.

"I think I get what you mean," Toby chucked, kissing her nose softly. "Why don't you go upstairs and I'll get you something else you eat."

"Thanks! But hey, I promised Aria and Emily that I'd be with them, like right now, at Aria's house… But we can have dinner together?" Spencer pouted, much rather wanting to stay with Toby at home.

"No problem, Spence. We'll eat later," Toby smiled at Spencer before releasing his grip on her so she could slip away.

* * *

"Know her? Hell, I practically _live _with her!" Hanna's voice came out angry. "She's my best friend!"

Maya's face dropped. She knew she had just added gas to the fire.

"I uh… I…" For the first time in her life, Maya was lost for words. She didn't know what to say, or how to react to the situation.

"Why didn't she tell me about this?" Hanna half shouted, scrunching her face up, frowning deeply.

"S-she wasn't entirely sure about it herself – at least, not at first. She said she was afraid of what her friends might think of her, so I agreed to keep it quiet," the tanned girl explained, trying to calm the blonde.

"Still, I just can't believe that she would tell her _best friends_… And then, she takes it a notch, and just dumps you out of the blue-… Holy shit…" Hanna finished quietly, her mind flashing red lights at her – flashing back to the night when Spencer told Aria and her that she'd just fought with Emily.

_"We're not done talking, Emily. I want to why the hell you're so upset over such a small thing!" Spencer shouted angrily._

_"Well maybe it's because I ended my relationship to save yours! And everyone else's!" The moment she said it, she immediately regretted it, but it was too late. Far too late. Everyone standing in the hallway was now staring at them, and Emily had tears running down her face like never before._

It all suddenly made sense now: Emily's lack of concentration these days. The dark rings that stood out under her eyes, always making her always look tired. Being irritable and snappy all the time. And not knowing what the hell had been going on in their best friend's life, Spencer, Aria and herself had been badmouthing Emily behind her back.

"Holy shit," Hanna repeated, placing a hand over her mouth.

"What- what is it?!" Maya eyes grew wide.

"I… I think I know why she broke up with you…" Hanna whispered, barely audible, but the tanned girl caught every word.

"How-" Maya began, but was cut off by a frantic Hanna.

"I-I'm sorry, Maya, I have to go!" the blonde shouted halfway down the staircase.

"What-… Hanna?!" Maya tried to stop Hanna, but the white girl was already down the street, halfway to Emily's house.

* * *

Hanna pounded on the door so hard that it rattled.

"Emily, open up!" she screeched, continuously banging on the door.

When Pam opened the door, Hanna nearly punched her face in because she was knocking on the door so hard.

"Hanna? What's the matter?" a shocked Pam asked.

"Mrs Fields – is Emily home?" The blonde wasn't expecting her friend's mother to be home.

"No, she's down at Aria's – I thought you girls were together?"

"Um no, I was at home with…" Hanna hesitated. "With a friend. But thanks, Mrs Fields!"

Great, they just had to choose Aria's house today.

Right now, Hanna couldn't spare _any_ time.

"TAXI!"

* * *

I snickered to myself as I watched the blonde run hysterically from one apartment to another. They should know I always get my way… I stretched as I cracked my fingers – time to get started on Part B of the mission…

* * *

"Oh good, you're all here," a breathless Hanna ran into Aria's room, where Spencer, Emily and Aria were all sitting on the shortest brunette's bed. Emily was casually sipping on her water (athletes and their water…) while Aria and Spencer turned their heads sharply to see what all the fuss was about.

"Hanna, aren't you supposed to be working on some Art project with someone?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea, Han, what's going on?" Aria chimed in, looking up to her breathless-best-friend.

"Here's what's _going_ _on_, Aria. I was doing my project with _Maya St Germain_," Hanna narrowed her eyes. Emily, caught off guard, choked on her water and started coughing uncontrollably.

"Um, I'm sorry, but that doesn't ring a bell…?" Spencer clarified both herself and Aria's point. The shorter brunette nodded.

"Why don't _you_ fill them in, Em?" Hanna rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"How did you find out?" Emily snarled angrily, her eyes showing some emotion other than emptiness for the first time in the past week.

"She told me." Hanna's response was casual.

"Okay, some serious tension… Who is this girl?" Aria asked, shaking her head slightly.

"Emily's ex-_girlfriend_." The blonde didn't even give the swimmer a chance. And there went Emily's deep secret…

"Whoa, _girlfriend_? Since when?!" Spencer turned to look at Emily.

Emily refused to keep eye contact whatsoever.

"I didn't stay to get filled in on details," Hanna began, "what I _do_ know, is that they were dating, and Emily broke up with her out of the blue, and Em," Hanna directed the last part right at Emily, "she's hurt and misses you like crazy."

There was silence for a few minutes, with three pairs of eyes all staring at Emily.

"Wait…" Spencer started. "Em, is this… is this the person you meant when you said something about giving up your relationship to save ours?"

Emily, knowing she was defeated with no other way out other than to give answers, nodded weakly. She reached into her bag and handed Spencer one of the CD's.

"What's this?" the white girl questioned, nonetheless taking it from her friend.

"I gave up Maya; I hurt her to protect you guys…" Emily whispered, closing her eyes shut and swallowing hard. You could see she was broken inside and out.

Aria slowly got off of her bed and took the CD from Spencer. She put it into her laptop before bringing to the bed so everyone could watch it.

As the first scene came on, all three girls felt sick. They knew exactly where and when this video was taken, unmistakably by their stalker.

_"No… no… it's fine, I'll tell you guys… I'm… I'm…" Spencer failed to finish her sentence. Hanna carefully considered what to say._

_"She's pregnant." The blonde finally said, looking away as soon as she said her sentence._

_"Huh?" Both Aria and Emily looked confused._

_"I'm pregnant. As in there's a baby inside of me…" Spencer spoke for herself. _

_"Wha- How… Who… When…" Aria looked as shocked as Spencer herself._

_"I don't know… I found out like two days ago…" Spencer mumbled, looking down at her own fingers._

_"Who-" Emily began. Spencer cut her off._

_"Toby."_

_"Aw, Spence… we'll be here for you… always… promise," Emily said, standing up and going round the table to Spencer's side to give her a hug._

_"Thanks, guys, but you don't understand. I don't think you ever will…" Spencer said sadly, sniffing._

_"What if we could?" Hanna suddenly asked._

_"Hanna, please, this isn't the time to be-" Aria began, but was cut off by the blonde._

_"No, Aria, I'm serious. What if we could understand Spencer? Like literally, be in her shoes?" Hanna asked._

_"And what exactly are you suggesting?" Aria asked, irritated._

_"We could also fall pregnant, duh…" Hanna said, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_"Wha-… Hey… Hanna, that's the first time you've said anything smart…" Aria said, staring at Hanna._

_"Hey-" Hanna tried to argue with Aria's statement, but Spencer cut in._

_"No. Absolutely not. I'm not having you guys ruin your lives for me," Spencer said, shaking her head so hard that it looked as if it would fall off._

_"Spencer, you don't have a say in this. It's our choice and we'll decide," Hanna said, dismissing the fact that Spencer was even there. Her mind was already made up – she accidentally told the other two girls, so she was going to do whatever it took to help Spencer._

_ "But-" Spencer started._

_"No buts. If we decide to do this, we'll decide. So, Aria? Emily?" Hanna asked seriously. _

_"Yea. Of course." Aria replied without hesitating. _

_"Um… yea… sure…" Emily sounded more uncomfortable than sure._

_"Well I'm in," said Hanna, with a look on her face – a look of determination._

_"Guys, you really don't have to-"_

_"Shh, Spence." Hanna and Aria both said in unison. _

"I could either give that to the guys and have Maya while I was to blame for three kids growing up with no fathers, or give _her _up and witness three happy families…" Emily wiped a tear that had escaped.

No one said anything. The four Liars sat in silence, with the pregnant three still trying to comprehend what had happened in the last half hour.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the simultaneous chiming of the girls' phones. Each, fearing the worst, slowly opened the texts.

Four jaws hit the floor in utter terror as they read their identical messages. The message wasn't bad; it was the photo attachment that did the work.

_'And the pieces slowly fall into place. You should know I always get what I want. Oh, and by the way, Maya says hi._

_-A'_

Attached to the text was a photo of Emily's sweet ex, lying on her side, clearly unconscious in a pool of blood, most likely her own. Her fate was hard to tell.


	24. Chapter 24: Panic

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars:_

_Four jaws hit the floor in utter terror as they read their identical messages. The message wasn't bad; it was the photo attachment that did the work._

_And the pieces slowly fall into place. You should know I always get what I want. Oh, and by the way, Maya says 'hi' xoxo_

_-A _

_Attached to the text was a photo of Emily's sweet ex, lying on her side, clearly unconscious and covered in so much blood it was difficult to tell her fate status._

* * *

Emily started breathing hard and heavy. Her chest felt tight, like the oxygen around her had all been absorbed by other people.

"Em?" Spencer nervously called out.

The swimmer continued to breath heavily, with each breath making breathing itself harder. After a good ten seconds, Emily was gasping for air.

"Oh my gosh, Spence, what's wrong with her?" Aria screamed, her eyes full of fear.

"Aria, lower your voice – she's having a panic attack and screaming isn't going to help," the tall brunette gently touched Aria's shoulder, telling her to calm down.

"Emily, stop panicking!" Hanna nudged her friend.

"Hanna! That's the worst thing you could say!" Spencer scolded. "Take Aria and get out of the room."

The blonde and the shorter brunette hurriedly walked out of the room, leaving a hysteric Emily and Spencer behind. Hanna literally had to carry Aria because of the shock the short brunette's body was going through.

"Emily. Emily, look at me. Emily." Spencer wasn't shouting, just calling Emily's name loudly to get her attention. "Emily!"

The swimmer looked at the hockey player. Spencer teared up at how broken and fragile Emily looked.

"Emily, focus on your breathing. Deep breathe in, and exhale slowly." Spencer rubbed Emily's back gently.

Emily focused on her breathing, trying to take deeps breaths, but they kept being cut short by her panic attack.

"C'mon, Em, you're doing great. Just keep breathing. You can get through this," the white girl encouraged her friend.

Endless tears rolled down Emily's cheeks as she held onto Spencer's hand for dear life. Spencer knew that if she said anything about Maya at this stage, Emily would have a heart attack. Literally.

"C'mon, Emily. Focus on your breathing. You can get through this. Do it for me, please."

About five long minutes later, Emily started to breathe a little better. Her rhythm was somewhat returning to its norm, but she was still crying nonetheless.

"It's okay, Em. We'll get through this, I promise," Spencer said, letting Emily cry on her shoulder.

* * *

About twenty minutes after Emily's panic attack, the four Liars were once again, sitting in Aria's room, desperately trying to work out where **A **could be keeping Maya. Just then, Emily's phone chimed. The three other Liars looked at Emily who had puffy eyes.

"You gonna open that, Em?" Hanna gently asked. She knew it was partly her fault for Maya getting kidnapped by **A**. Yes, **A** had been planning that move all along, but it was the blonde who had given their stalker the perfect chance to do so.

The swimmer didn't respond.

"Em?" Aria nudged her friend.

"Hm?" came out Emily's tired and defeated voice.

"Are you gonna open your text?" Spencer asked.

"What text?" Emily frowned.

"Em, you just got a text on your phone. Will you open it, or can I?" the blonde smiled sadly at Emily.

"You can open it," Emily said before drifting off into her own world again.

"No way…" Hanna gasped as soon as she grabbed Emily's phone. The swimmer snapped her neck around to face her blonde-haired friend.

Spencer took the phone from Hanna and read it out loud.

_If you want little Mayakins back, you can take her. 48 Rivonia Road; Rowstreet. Clock's ticking, Emmy!_

_Loads of kisses,_

_-A _

Emily shot up.

"What are you doing?" Aria asked.

"I've wasted enough time. I'm going to get her. Going to get her back." Emily grabbed her jacket that lay on the foot of Aria's bed.

"We're coming with you, Em." Hanna stood up too.

"Guys, whoa, wait. What makes you think this isn't a trap?" Spencer asked, turning her body and frowning.

"Trap or not, I'm going to get her. I've sacrificed too much already. I'm not going to give her life up too." The swimmer was out the door within milliseconds. Hanna soon followed her out the door, and Aria was already halfway out too when she turned back.

"Spence, it's the least we could do for her. Look at her – the bubbly and cheerful, energetic Emily's gone. Now she's just a… emotionless statue that walks around…" Aria gave Spencer a pitiful smile before walking out the door.

"Well, I'm commin'," Spencer said, mainly to herself before running out the bedroom.

* * *

It was now around nine at night. The four Pretty Little Liars had successfully found Maya and taken her to hospital. They had had to make up one absurd story of what had happened to Maya – turns out that she was only drugged unconscious, and the 'blood' that was in the picture that –A had sent them was all fake. As soon as Maya was safely admitted to the hospital, Emily had received a text.

_My little Emmy, couldn't believe it was that easy, could you? I was feeling awfully kind today, but next time, you won't be so lucky, hun!_

_Kisses, bitch._

_-A_

* * *

Emily Fields was currently staring at the text that she had received from **A **earlier. Occasionally, she'd flicker her eyes up to see if Maya was still okay – the swimmer was with Maya in Maya's hospital room, waiting for her ex to wake up. She put her phone in her pocket and sighed, taking a seat next to the still-unconscious Maya.

"Maya, I'm so sorry…" Emily began softly, her voice catching in her throat. "I'm so, so, sorry. I only did it to protect you, and it's… it's blown up, right back at me… I thought… I thought if I stopped communicating with you, you'd be safe… but my heart didn't allow that, and… oh gosh…"

She let the tears run freely.

"I still love you. So much, too much, it actually hurts. And seeing you like this… baby…" Emily sobbed, letting her tears rain onto her hand that was holding Maya's.

Then, she stirred. _Maya_ stirred.

Emily felt a gentle and weak squeeze, but it meant everything to her.

"M-Maya?" Emily's eyes now mirrored hope, but half of her thought she was imagining things.

Then she felt it again. That gently squeeze that meant the world to her.

* * *

Hanna Marin opened her front door, staggering inside, exhausted from the day's activities. It wasn't every day that you found out that your best friend was a lesbian, let alone broken _her_ relationship to save yours. The blonde stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes met the person who was standing in her living room.

"Caleb!" the blonde ran into his arms, and the shaggy-haired boy stumbled a few steps backwards. "I was so worried, you ass!"

"Babe, I'm sorry-"

"You could've texted me when you knew you wouldn't be coming back!" Hanna punched her boyfriend's shoulder, causing him to wince.

"Han… calm down…" Caleb placed a gentle kiss on her temple after pulling her into another embrace. "I'm sorry."

Hanna reached up and softly kissed his lips, which pretty soon turned into a heated make-out session. Just as Caleb thought he was off the hook, Hanna pulled back, sighing.

"Han? What's wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just-…" the blonde sighed, "I just had a tough day, that's all…"

"Hanna, you know you can talk to me, right?" Caleb kissed her nose.

"I know, but… it's not about me, and I just-" Hanna was cut off from her sentence.

"Shh, you can tell me when you're ready."

* * *

As she walked through her front door, Spencer smelt something that made her eyes close and her mind, float up to paradise.

"Spence, is that you?" called a voice.

"Mhm, Toby, it's me!" Spencer replied, before hanging up her bag by the coats and stepping into the kitchen. "I'm sorry I couldn't do lunch."

"You don't need to be sorry, babe, it's okay," Toby replied before leaning in for a kiss.

"Anyways, what's for dinner? I'm starving and it smells divide…" Spencer asked once the kiss was broken.

"Smells divine?" Toby chuckled, "babe, it's just fish and chips!"


	25. Chapter 25: An Understatement

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

It was a casual Sunday morning and all the Liars, except Emily, were gathered in the Hastings' living room, talking about how pregnancy had been treating them so far.

"And morning sickness is _the_ worst," Spencer muttered, shaking her head.

"Yea! Throwing up every morning – just the thought is _revolting_…" Hanna agreed with the brunette, nodding her head furiously.

"Hey Spence, where's Em?" Aria asked, as if just realising that one of her friends was missing.

"She said she'd be here later. She's at the hospital, with… you know…" the taller brunette replied, trailing off.

"Do you guys find it weird that Em's… gay?" Aria asked, leaning against the couch.

"I have to admit, I didn't see it coming, but she's not that big of a fan of guys, you know?" Hanna smirked.

"Guys, let's not gossip about our best friend, okay?" Spencer rolled her eyes, sighing. She was hungry, but too lazy to get up and make food for herself.

"We _have_ to go baby shopping all together!" Hanna suddenly said, all excited.

"Han, we're all still _months_ away from giving birth, let alone knowing the gender of the babies…" Aria snickered, teasing her friend. "You and I are only 12 weeks, and Spencer, 15."

"Whatever. But you guys _have_ to promise to go shopping with me! Oh my gosh, it's gonna be AMAzing!" the blonde squealed, clapping her hands.

"Here we go again," the shortest brunette muttered, laughing.

"Speaking of our little ones, what do you guys want the gender to be?" Spencer asked curiously.

"I want a boy, but Ezra wants a girl," Aria spoke up, yawning right at the end of her sentence.

"I also want a boy!" Spencer agreed, "but, Toby wants a girl too…"

"I want a girl _and_ a boy," Hanna chuckled, "see, my options are _very_ broad." Hanna had told her friends that she was expecting twins, and they were all really happy for her, once they saw that she was happy for herself.

"Oh yea, sure, whatever," Spencer laughed and shook her head, leaning back.

* * *

**_Monday morning, Rosewood High_**

The next day at school, the four girls were standing by Aria's locker just before lessons started.

"So, Em… How's… how's Maya?" Spencer carefully asked.

"She's… she'll come around today, according to the doctors. She started stirring yesterday but the doctors didn't want her to wake up so they drugged her so she could sleep for another 24 hours," Emily said, smiling uneasily.

"Do you… do you miss her?" Hanna asked quietly. Just as Emily was about to reply, the bell rang, signalling the start of school.

"Move, kids!" A deep voice boomed – Mr Haylock, the Economics teacher was shooing all the kids off to class.

"See you guys later," Emily said, before quickly exiting the scene.

"What kind of question was that?!" Spencer hissed once Emily was out of sight.

"Geez, I'm _so_ sorry, Spencer," Hanna replied sarcastically, shaking her head. "I just asked her a downright, straightforward question!"

The three went their way, meanwhile Emily had Physics.

* * *

As the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, the majority of Rosewood High's learners stampeded towards the parking lot. Among them, were Hanna and Caleb, hand in hand.

"You wanna take my car?" Caleb turned to ask Hanna. He raised his voice so she could hear him above the noise.

"Uh, sure… if you don't mind giving me another ride to school tomorrow," the blonde replied, her too, raising her voice.

"Why would I mind, babe," Caleb grinned, kissing the back of Hanna's hand.

They got into the long-haired-boy's car, before driving towards the Marin's household.

"Anything specific you wanna do today?" Caleb asked, opening the car door for his pregnant girlfriend. What a gentleman…

"I just wanna lay in bed… and cuddle…" Hanna replied, grinning. Caleb laughed as he locked his car, shaking his head.

"Then we'll do that."

* * *

Emily arrived at the hospital where her ex-girlfriend-… no. No. It hurt too much to say the word "ex". Too much. Let's rephrase that… Emily arrived at the hospital which was currently residing Maya. She parked her Toyota before climbing out of it. She made her way into the building, checking in with the receptionist – not that it was necessary, because the receptionist knew Emily's face off by heart – and taking the elevator to the shorter girl's room.

Emily opened the door gently, and stepped inside. To her surprise, stood a doctor next to a still-unconscious Maya.

"Oh, Emily. Afternoon," the doctor greeted. But before the swimmer could ask the question she _needed_ the answer to, the doctor gave it to her, as if he could read her mind. "She should be up in the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Thank you," the tanned girl softly said, her eyes, never leaving the beautiful face that lay in the bed.

"I'll leave you here, then. Please, push that green button when she wakes up. It'll inform us, and one of the nurses will be up with you two. It's just to check that she's okay. No amnesia or things like that."

"Okay."

Emily's eyes remained fixed on the goddess that lay in front of her, whilst the doctor left the room. The tall brunette slowly walked towards the bed. She caressed Maya's cheeks with her thumb, and a tear formed in her eye. She let it silently drop.

Just then, Emily heard voices from right outside Maya's door.

"This is her room," she heard the doctor say, "there's a visitor inside, but you can go in."

"Thanks." A strange male voice replied.

_Who is that,_ Emily thought.

* * *

Hanna was in the kitchen, pouring drinks for herself and Caleb when he walked in.

"Hanna, we need to talk…" Caleb said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Okay…" Hanna nervously replied. What if he was going to leave her and the babies because he was scared? What if-… _Don't think like that,_ Hanna scolded herself, _your guy is the best in the world; he wouldn't do that to you. _

"I… I've been thinking a lot about this lately, so don't say I'm being unreasonable, alright?" Caleb said, gently taking Hanna's hands in his.

"Sure. You know you can tell me anything…" Hanna stood on her tiptoes and softly pecked her lover's cheek. He smiled, but got serious soon after.

"I… eh… I was thinking… Maybe I should drop out of school?" Caleb muttered, refusing to keep eye contact with the blonde.

"What?" Hanna frowned, lifting his chin so they could look each other in the eye. "Caleb, why? Why would you wanna do that?"

"It's just… Look, Han, you're gonna have to drop out for Senior Year anyways because of the babies, and while you're out of school, I can't… I can't sit around and do nothing – I wanna go out, make money, you know… get a job, even if it's temporary, and help you…"

The blonde teared up at the boy's softness.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey… look at me… Look at me, Caleb."

Caleb looked at Hanna.

"I love you," Hanna muttered, pulling her boyfriend into a tight embrace. "Please don't drop out of school, though… I'll find a way to keep us all happy, okay? Don't abandon your educatio. We'll make it through, I promise…"

* * *

Toby and Spencer were lying on Spencer's bed, spooning, with Toby as the big spoon.

"Hey Tobes?" Spencer whispered.

"Yea?" he whispered back.

"Why do you like me?" Spencer randomly asked.

"I don't like you," Toby replied.

"Oh."

"I love you," Toby chuckled, kissing his girlfriend's cheek softly.

"I love you too… but why do you love me?" Spencer sighed.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Toby lifted his head. Spencer turned around to face him.

"Toby," Spencer laughed, "it was just a random question."

"I love you because… How do I put this in words…?" Toby mumbled. "Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control. There was nothing I could do about it, and even if I could have done something about it, I wouldn't dream of it. You're just too perfect."

"Thank you," she sincerely said. "I love you. So much."

* * *

"_Professor_ Fitz," Aria said, walking into Ezra's office. "May I ask you a question?"

"Miss Montgomery," Ezra grinned, "it'd be my pleasure."

"Why is it that…" Aria walked up to Ezra, "I…" she loosened his tie, "have failed," she looked at him in the eye, "English?" she finished and brushed her lips against his.

"Mrs Montgomery… you haven't been doing your homework. I'm sure your marks will shoot up, if," Ezra lifted Aria onto his desk, "you," he kissed her nose, "do your homework," he grinned at her, "and go to Extra English."

"And where is this 'Extra English' held?" the short brunette whispered against the Professor's mouth.

"Right here," Ezra smirked, before attaching his lips to hers.

* * *

Emily heard voices from right outside Maya's door.

"This is her room," she heard the doctor say, "there's a visitor inside, but you can go in."

"Thanks." A strange male voice replied.

_Who is that,_ Emily thought.

The door opened slowly to reveal a familiar face – the guy Maya had been with, a while back.

"Oh it's you," he sneered.

"Uh, sorry, but you exactly _are_ you?" Emily snapped. She didn't need assholes getting to her.

"Dante St. Germain or, Maya's _brother_. I don't believe we've formally met. I'm the one who was there when you crushed my baby sister's heart," he shot back. Emily froze. _Brother? _Maya had a _brother?_ Since when?

"Well nice to meet you," she said sarcastically.

"Likewise," he replied in the same mocking tone.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I have a right to be here," Emily answered firmly.

"Why? You gonna break her hart again and kill her faster? Or are you just here to watch her suffer and rip her soul in half?" he snarled.

Now Emily was pissed. Her eyes blazed with rage as she stood up, about to say something, when a voice so soft interrupted her she was unsure if she had heard it, or imagined it.

"Stop it, you guys."

Both turned to look at the small girl who's dark brown eyes had now fluttered open.

"Maya!" Dante half whispered, half screamed, rushing over and hugging his sister tightly. Emily, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do. She had pictured herself being alone with Maya when she woke up.

Almost as if she could read the look on Emily's face, she looked up at Dante.

"Can I have a minute with her? Alone?" she asked.

"If it'll make you happy," he said, sighing, glaring at Emily a last time before leaving the room.

"Maya, I…" Emily started, kneeling down beside Maya's bed.

"Stop," the darker girl whispered.

"What?" Emily asked, confused.

"Don't say anything. I know what happened. **A** made me read a note before knocking me out cold. I… I know you were trying to protect me and your friends, and I understand they mean more to you than I do…" Maya's voice was barely a whisper as she finished with tears in her eyes. Emily felt her heart shatter.

"Don't," Emily managed to choke out. Maya looked up and brown eyes pierced through the glistening layer of tears to meet in a fierce gaze of hurt, love, and passion. Emily grabbed Maya and pulled her into a tight hug – that is, as tight as she dared – and Maya clung onto Emily as if her life depended on it. She pulled out of the embrace and yanked Emily's lips to hers, in a kiss that felt like it was _long_ overdue. Fireworks would have been an understatement for the amount of electricity and passion that coursed through the kiss into each girl's heart and soul.

Emily's arms snaked around Maya's waist and Maya slid around the swimmer's neck as her hands tangled in raven hair, pulling the taller girl closer. When air became an issue and they finally pulled apart, they kept their heads pressed together, their eyes closed.

"I missed you," Maya whispered.

"I didn't miss you. That would be an understatement. I was an emotional wreck…" Emily replied, and for the first time since Maya had walked out of her life that fateful day, Emily Fields smiled.

For real.

If only she knew that the smile wasn't going to last for long…


	26. Chapter 26: Payback is a Bitch

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**Warning: GRAPHIC**

* * *

**_The Montgomery household_**

Byron and Ella Montgomery were sitting on the couch, with Byron's arm around his wife.

"Ella, there's nothing we can do…" Byron said in a tired voice.

"Yes, there is. We can talk to the school. They'll do something about Ezra Fitz, won't they?" Ella desperately asked.

"Honey, listen to yourself. You think I like the idea of my baby girl being pregnant with her former teacher's baby? But what do you think will happen to Aria's emotional state if Ezra was taken into custody? She loves that man, Ella, whether we like the idea or not, she's in love with him… And I mean, look – they managed to keep it from us for _that_ long; I'm sure they can keep it from the rest of the world for a little longer… And now that Ezra's not her teacher anymore, our chances of getting him away from Aria have dropped," Byron finished with a sigh.

"You know I just want the best for Aria…" Ella too, sighed, closing her eyes.

"Of course I know… But for the time being, I would suggest we just accept the fact that she's pregnant and love her."

Ella heavily sighed again, "I guess you're right…"

The married couple stayed like that for a good ten minutes, before their peace was disturbed by the sound of the front door opening.

"Aria, honey? Is that you?" Ella called.

Aria stopped dead in her tracks. Her mother had not uttered a single word to her, let alone glanced at her ever since that day when she found out all the juicy details. And now, she was calling her? For what? The short brunette slowly turned around and made her way into the living room.

"You called?" Aria asked in a tiny voice.

"We just wanted to say, we love you, honey," Byron said, speaking on behalf of his wife and himself.

Aria was shocked: she didn't know what to say, or what emotions to show. So she forced a little smile, and said, "I love you guys too."

_But do I really?_ a voice in her head asked.

* * *

It had been a few days since Maya had come round, and the two girls had gotten back together, now literally inseparable.

"I'll see you later, babe," Emily said, quickly glancing up to see if anyone was looking before leaning down to peck Maya. "You're coming to the pool later, right?"

"Sure," Maya replied, smiling. "Ohhh wait… I have to go to the doctors, remember?"

"No worries. In fact, I'll come with you." Emily closed her locker.

"No, Em, you concentrate on swimming – I'll only be a half hour or so. I'll be back real quick, mkay?" Maya grinned at Emily's eagerness.

The swimmer pouted, "fine, but only because I can't say no to you."

Emily leaned down to kiss Maya one final time before letting their ways separate them. If only she knew they were being watched…

* * *

Hanna Marin was walking through the corridors at recess when the History coach stopped her.

"Marin."

The blonde turned around.

"Oh. Hi, Miss," Hanna said, internally sighing – what piece of homework had she not done this time?

"I just wanted to say, well done on the essay. You scored the top of the class," she said, smirking slightly. "Although, we gotta work on your capitals and punctuation…"

"Me? Top of class? Uh… I'm sure you're mistaken, Miss," Hanna said, her eyes, as wide as grapefruits.

"Look," the teacher said, pointing to the clipboard she was carrying. "Marin; 98%."

"Oh… uh, thank you," Hanna said, smiling slightly.

"Keep it up, Marin," the teacher encouraged.

"I'll try, Miss," Hanna said as she began to walk away, with a gigantic smile plastered on her face.

She stopped dead in her tracks as something hit her; _what essay?!_

* * *

"Ezzzzraaaaaa," Aria whined, pulling a face.

"But babe, you're so cute! I can't help it…" Ezra smiled that charming smile of his as he snapped another picture of his girlfriend.

"Ezra Fitzgerald, I swear, I'm gonna murder you the next time you try that," Aria fumed, frowning. Ezra stopped immediately – when Aria used his full surname, she meant trouble.

"Sorry, Aria," he sincerely apologised, putting the camera down. Aria, however, burst into laughter.

"Aw, Ezra, I was kidding," the brunette teased, walking up to him.

"You, my lady, are one _special_ one," he mumbled, before pulling her into a tight embrace, kissing her hair.

* * *

"It's unbelievable," Spencer muttered to Toby as they walked, hand in hand, into the building that stood in front of them. "Three months and three weeks…"

"Yea," Toby agreed, his arm, snaking around Spencer's waist. They made their way into Dr Jean's office, and waited for a few minutes before the doctor stepped back in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Dr Jean began, "we had had some issues with the previous patients… Anyways, how are you three?"

"We're good thanks," the brunette chimed.

"That's good to hear. Alright, are you ready for the scan?"

"Of course," Spencer replied, hopping onto the bed and lifting her shirt – a small baby bump was visible.

"Great. And would you like to know the gender?" the doctor asked as she picked up the gel bottle from the side-table. Spencer and Toby exchanged glances.

"We… we can already know what the gender is?" Toby asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't it too early?"

Jenny chuckled. "Ah, new parents are always the best. And no, it's not too early. At this stage, both sexes have a genital tubercle which will turn into the penis for a boy and the clitoris for a girl. The way we doctors can tell gender is to look at the angle between the genital tubercle and the spine, that is, which way the genital tubercle is pointing."

A nod was all Spencer and Toby could manage.

"So, would you like to know the gender?" Jenny asked again.

The pregnant couple looked at each other, before silently agreeing on a decision.

"No, thank you. I don't think we're ready for that… yet…" Spencer smiled at the doctor.

"No problem, guys. Feel free to ask any time! Anyways, the procedure is identical to the last one. This is going to be cold…"

* * *

"I'm going back soon," the blonde said, softly crying into his shoulder.

"Shh, babe, it'll be alright. We've done it before, we can do it again, I promise…" The guy tried to calm his girlfriend down.

"I love you," the girl confessed, snuggling into the crook of her partner's neck.

"I love you too, Rachel. Just hold on a little longer; you don't have much of college left. Maybe you can even do university here," Jason said, kissing the blonde's temple. "Just hang in there."

* * *

"Emily, hurry up! Coach is losing it!" Sian, a blonde, attractive girl who was on the team called.

"Coming, Sian!" Emily yelled back before quickly putting her swim-cap on.

"Fields, do you think we're going out against turtles? Get your butt in that pool _now_!" the coach yelled, clapping her hands. "I expect everyone to break their records in the next two weeks. We're up against the Dolphins in three weeks' time, and I expect us to bring home what's ours, okay?!"

"Yes coach!" the team echoed.

"Good. Fields and McCullers. A word with you two, please."

The rivals glanced at one another before following the coach to the corner of the indoor-swimming-pool.

"Now, Emily, I know you're the captain of the team. We put you there, because not only were you the fastest, but also because you have a sense of leadership in you. So in other words, the captain isn't always guaranteed to be the fastest – you were, in our case, but not always for other teams. But now, it looks like you have some competition – McCullers here has improved greatly in the past few weeks." The coach looked like she didn't want to get to the point.

"Where are you going with this, Coach?" Emily nervously asked. Was she going to replace her with Paige? No freaking way…

"Don't worry, I'm not about to replace you." Emily breathed a sigh of relief. "But, we may have to see who will be swimming as the anchor for the Sharks at the Finals."

"Okay…" Emily said, not liking where this was going. She had always been the anchor of the team, and the other members had respected that. _Now_, Paige joins the team a few months back, and already, she's nominated to swim as the anchor?!

"In other words, _Emily_, Coach is saying that you and I are gonna race our butts together to see who'll swim as anchor," Paige said, looking confident.

"No, Paige. Don't talk to me. First you take advantage of me when I'm at my most vulnerable, and then you take it up a notch and compete against me for anchor," Emily hissed so no one else could hear them.

"Girls, girls, no fighting. I'm going to race you two tomorrow; just before practice, 3:30. Don't be late." Coach Fulton walked away, leaving the two girls growling at each other.

"May the odds be _ever_ in your favour," Paige spat out, before turning around.

"Alright, team, I want sixty laps! Go!" Coach blew her whistle, and diving noises were heard. The Sharks had started.

* * *

Maya was on her way out of the hospital building when a familiar voice called her.

"Maya!"

The short brunette turned around to face her caller. "Dante! Hey, big bro!"

"Lil sis," Dante greeted, smiling and putting an arm around his sister's shoulder.

"How're you here?" she asked, frowning.

"I knew you would be coming for a check-up today, so I decided to show up," he grinned.

"Look, I'd love to chat, but I promised Emily-" Maya began, but was cut off by her brother.

"Aw, c'mon, Maya, we have some catching up to do… besides, my military vacation's over in a couple of days…" Dante made a face, hoping to win his sister's attention.

"Ug, fine, but only because I love you," Maya teased. "Let me just text Em first. She'd want to know."

"Yea, yea, alright," Dante said, before leading Maya to the coffee shop, two blocks away.

_'Em, I'm catching up with Dante real quick. I'll be there soon, I promise!'_

Maya composed her message before pressing 'send'.

"So, lil' one, you have a _lot_ of explaining to do," Dante said, laughing to himself before opening the cafe door for his sister.

* * *

Emily was on her sixty-fifth lap when her phone chimed in her bag which was in her locker – this meant that Emily obviously wasn't aware. She was doing extra laps to get 'fit' – as she said – for the battle between herself and Paige McCullers that would soon take place. She _had_ to win that anchor place if she wanted to keep her pride. She did a tumble-turn and proceeded to her sixty-sixth lap, keeping a steady and regular rhythm: _one, two, three, breath, one, two, three, breath… _

After ten minutes, she had done an additional twenty laps. The athlete took her goggles and swimming cap off, before trying to catch her breath. She looked around the stands and sighed – Maya hadn't showed up. Grumpily, she got out of the pool and made her way into the showers, past the locker room, grabbing her things. She checked her phone – one new text message.

_'Em, I'm catching up with Dante real quick. I'll be there soon, I promise!'_

It was from Maya. The tall brunette sighed before settling her swimming bag down onto one of the indoor benches. She stripped out of her costume before taking shower essentials into the showers.

* * *

"Oh shit, is that the time?!" Maya yelped, checking her phone. "Dante, I've gotta go!"

"Maya, relax… Hey, c'mon, please? Emily's probably still swimming laps," Dante rolled his eyes, laughing.

"I suppose so… I'm just gonna send her another message quickly, okay?" Maya relaxed again, pressing on 'compose message'.

"Sure thing," her older brother replied, smiling.

_'Hey babe, so sorry I'm not there yet… Give me another half an hour, max, okay? I love you xoxo'_

* * *

Emily got out of the shower and dried herself down. She wrapped the wet towel around her body before taking another towel and wrapping it around her freshly-washed hair. She grunted as she accidentally kicked the walls of the shower. As she stepped out to go into the changing room, the side of her eyes caught movement, or she could've sworn they did, because when she whipped around, her eyes were greeted with nothingness. Thinking she was hallucinating because of the tiring laps she had just swam, the swimmer shrugged it off before making her way to the bench where her clothes lay.

As Emily took the towel off, she heard an odd noise come from behind her. She slowly turned around.

"Is _she_ the reason why you dumped me?" Emily was greeted with an angry looking face.

She gasped. "B-Ben… This is the girl's changing room," she hastily said, grabbing the towel she had abandoned seconds ago to cover up her exposed skin.

"Well too bad I'm not a girl, huh? I bet you live in paradise every day, starting at these girls, fantasising all things, eh?" Ben let out a disturbed, fake cough.

"Get out, Ben," Emily said, getting more and more nervous by the second.

"Who's gonna make me?" It sounded harsh. Evil, almost. He started walking towards the swimmer.

"Ben, stop. B-Ben, p-please," Emily stuttered, backing away.

"I bet no one knows, yea? No one knows your dirty little secret, you lesbo." Ben smirked triumphantly, as he continued walking towards his ex.

Emily could feel her hands shaking. No, never mind that, her whole body was shaking. "B-Ben. Get out."

"Oh, Em, I'm just having some fun, you know, don't ruin it for me," he said slyly. He was now within reach of Emily, but he kept on walking. Walked until she could feel his breath on her face. Emily felt _so_ exposed. His face was right in front of hers. She turned her head and grasped the towel even closer to her body.

"Lose the towel, babe," Ben whispered, his breath, smelling like cheese. Absolute nightmare. But that wasn't Emily's concern right now.

"Ben, stop. Please." It came out as a whimper. She tried to be confident. And had failed.

"Stop what? I'm not doing anything," he mocked, brushing his lips against her skin. Emily trembled and the contact. She tried pushing him off. No. He was too strong.

"Ben, _stop_!" Emily protested against him, but she knew it was hopeless. Damn the extra laps she had swam – everyone, including the coach - had gone home for the day. She was alone in the building – well, with _him_ – and there was _no_ way anyone could hear her even if she screamed.

Unless… unless Maya was on her way? She was Emily's only hope. If only, if only…

"You know, babe, I didn't get what you promised me," Ben said, running his hands down Emily's arms.

"Ben, you and I broke up. I'm with someone else now; you can't do this," she mumbled, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"You broke up with me to be with a girl," he spat. "Disgusting."

"Ben, don't." A whisper. A desperate whisper.

"Shh, babe, just relax." Although the words sounded innocent, his tone was pure evil. "Now, just lose the towel."

"No," Emily said loudly, clutching onto the towel so hard that her knuckles turned white. Ben tugged on the towel, hard, but the swimmer held onto it with equal strength.

"Fields, lose the towel before I make you regret your life," the boy spat, "you can't win anyways. I've got you now."

Emily, however, didn't let go of the towel. She held onto it even tighter before spitting in his eye.

"You bitch!" Ben screamed, before yanking the towel off of Emily's head and wiping his face. He walked back up to her and slapped her across the face. "I tried to be gentle with you, but you're too stubborn. You're leaving me no choice but to use this."

Ben pulled out a small bottle that contained some liquid, and a small handkerchief. Emily took the chance to try and run away – and failed. He grabbed her by her arm before throwing her to the floor. He quickly spread some of the liquid onto the piece of cloth before pressing it down firmly onto the swimmer's mouth and nose. Emily felt her body get suddenly weak. Her muscles relaxed – she tried to move – she couldn't.

He had drugged her.


	27. Chapter 27: Closeted

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

**_Same day as last chapter_**

Emily lay on the floor, exposed, exhausted and drugged. Ben was standing beside her, smirking as he pulled his clothes back on.

"Now, Em, say _one word_ about the little party we just had, and I swear, _every single soul_ on earth will know about you and your little closet."

Emily couldn't respond. That was one of the effects of the drug.

"Now, cheerio, babe. I'll see you at school!" Ben smugly said, blowing Emily a kiss.

The swimmer felt disgusted. Tears were just streaming out of her eyes, and she couldn't move – how long was this drug going to work for? Maya can't come in and find her like this – it'd be the end of Emily…

* * *

"Dante... I really should get going. I feel like something's wrong. Emily hasn't texted back yet, and she always sends me some kind of warning that her phone's dying if it is," Maya explained, looking worriedly at the time displayed on her phone.

"Okay, go if you must, but it was great spending time with you," Dante grinned.

"Yea, this bonding thing with you was great," Maya teased her brother. "The next time I see you, you'll be well out of the army, eh?"

"Yeap. Look forward to it, lil sis, I'll have muscles the size of boulders!" Dante laughed with his sister, their laugh, harmonic.

"Well, good luck, D. I'll see you soon," Maya said as she hugged her brother tight.

"Stay safe," he said. "Oh, and hold onto that Emily girl – judging by the stories you've told me, she's a keeper."

* * *

Toby and Spencer were on their way home from the ultrasound scan.

"Spencer?"

"Hm?" the tall brunette replied, yawning.

Toby chuckled, "why didn't you want to know the gender of the baby?"

Spencer thought for a moment.

"Just… I just wanted to keep it a surprise, I guess… for myself…"

"So when _do_ you want to know?" he asked, reaching over for her hand and intertwining their fingers.

"Uh… I actually don't know… I kinda want to find out only when I give birth," she replied, smirking at her partner.

Toby looked surprised. "Oh? Why?"

"No reason, just… you know… Ug, Toby, I'm a Hastings – we always try to do things differently…" Spencer rolled her eyes at her own comment.

"Then we can do that," he softly replied, smiling at his girlfriend, his eyes, leaving the road for a fraction of a second.

"I really don't mind if you wanna ask the doctor for the gender before time, as long as you don't tell me."

"Nah... I mean it'd be too tempting to tell you the joy of having a girl or a boy, so we'll find out, together, the day we become parents of a child that has entered the world," he winked at Spencer, bring her hand up to kiss it.

"Cliché, Tobes, cliché."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Dan. I'll see you soon, right?" Maya stuck her head in her brother's car window.

"Course. Now run along to your girlfriend; she's waiting for you," said Dante as he winked at his sister.

"Yea, yea, whatever," Maya replied, rolling her eyes casually, smiling. "Bye!"

"Cheers!"

Maya waved to her brother before turning around to face her school; Rosewood High. She started to walk towards it, cheerful at the image of her girlfriend, waiting for her inside, still in the shower, or possibly, still swimming laps. She took her phone out.

_'Babe, I'm here; I'll see you in like two minutes!' _

She clicked 'send' before stuffing her cell back in her bag and picking up her pace. She couldn't _wait_ to see Emily.

The short girl finally reached the poolside. As she made her way across to the girls' locker rooms, she was struck by the same weird-gut-feeling sensation as she felt when she was sitting at the table with Dante. _Was everything alright? Why hadn't Emily texted her back? Why was it so quiet? _

"Emily?" she called out into the empty, 'too-quiet' room. "Em?"

She didn't get a reply.

* * *

Hanna sat in her room, on her laptop, going through every single document on Microsoft Word.

"Designs and Patterns – no…" she muttered to herself while scrolling through the documents. Just then, she phone rang.

"Hello?" the blonde girl answered without checking the caller ID.

"Well done on your _History essay_," a voice from the other end of the call whispered, almost sounding like a hiss. Then, the line went dead.

Wide-eyed, Hanna stared at her phone. _What the hell had just happened?_

She pressed the home button on her iPhone frantically before punching a few numbers in. It rang four times before the person answered.

"Hello?" the person asked.

"Spencer, no time to explain, come to my house now!" Hanna practically screamed into the phone.

"Han, I'm sorta with Toby right now-"

"**A**." Hanna said that one fearful letter.

"I'm on my way. I'll bring Aria too. Em's at swim practice."

Hanna cut the line before placing her phone on her desk. She was alone right now in this house – Caleb was with Lucas, trying to figure something out for Information Technology class or whatever, and her mom was working late.

She checked the time – 4:19pm.

She looked outside – dark.

This meant that there was a storm heading up her way; literally and metaphorically.

But.

It also meant that **A **could have his or her party right now.

Maybe even in _Hanna's_ house.

* * *

Maya tried again, a little louder this time.

"Emily?!"

"In here!" A reply! Yes, a reply!

Maya rushed over to where she had heard Emily's voice from.

Emily exited from the showers, a towel, wrapped around her body, and her hair, still wet from her freshly taken shower.

"Hey, babe," Maya said, raising an eyebrow.

"H-hey," Emily replied.

Maya moved in for a kiss, but Emily instantly moved away.

"Um, actually, would you mind if I put some clothes on first?" the swimmer tried to hastily cover her mistake.

"Uh, no problem, sure," Maya said, frowning. "Hey Em, what's that on your arm?" The short girl pointed to a red hand-mark that lay on Emily's upper arm.

"Oh... Coach had to talk to me," Emily swiftly lied. "I guess she gripped me a little too hard.

"Ug," Maya groaned, "I wish she'd go easier on you..."

"Yeap… I'll be back real quick, okay?" Emily said as she gathered her clothes and turned back into the showers to put them on.

"Sure thing. I'll be here."

_Something doesn't feel right, _Maya thought to herself as she watched Emily _limp_ away.

* * *

I smirked as I broke through the lock. I slowly opened the door and crept in, staying as silent as a ninja. With my black latex gloves on, I scanned for _the one_ that I was looking for. My left-index finger ran down the printed tapes, waiting to settle on the _right one_.

I looked closely at each one for a date.

Found it – 14th of May. 14:00 till 17:00. Perfection. I slid it out of its compartment before carefully placing it in my bag. It's gonna have to stay in perfect shape and condition if I wanted loads of copies of it, wouldn't it?

I smirked as I walked out of the building.

Mission accomplished.


	28. Chapter 28: Fighting

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars:_

_Hanna is supposedly the top of her class for an essay she wrote. The problem is, Hanna never wrote an essay – who did it? Emily gets raped by Ben, who threatens to tell everyone she's closeted if she snitches on him._

* * *

**_Same day as last chapter_**

"Thanks for the ride," Emily said in a small voice, putting her head by Maya's window.

"No problem," Maya replied, smiling. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Of course." Emily managed a small smile, leaning in to peck her girlfriend. "I'll call you later."

"Alright. Bye, Em," Maya said, as Emily stood upright.

"Bye."

The swimmer made her way to her house, through the door and up the stairs. She went into her bedroom and kicked off her shoes before collapsing on the bed.

* * *

"Hurry up!" Hanna called out to Aria and Spencer who had just gotten out of Spencer's car. The brunettes ran across the blonde's front 'yard', trying to avoid the rain. Hanna pulled them in as soon as they were within reach.

"Whoa, Han, what's the aggression for?" Spencer asked, nearly slipping, but holding onto Aria at the last second.

"Major **A** crisis. Come on, guys, move!" Hanna directed them upstairs into her bedroom frantically.

"Hanna, calm the hell down!" Aria muttered as she felt the blonde's hand on her back, gently, but quickly pushing her – an indication to move faster.

"Right," the blonde started as she closed her room door behind her. "This **A** business is getting freakier by the second, guys."

"No duh, I think we can all say that," Spencer said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"No, seriously, Spencer.** A**'s now writing History essays and coming top of class…" Hanna said, frowning with anxiety.

"What?" Spencer gasped. No-one takes her 1st place. No-one.

"Yea… The History teacher, Ms Van Huisten stopped me in the hallway today before telling me that my essay had earned a 98%..." Hanna said, turning around to walk to her bed.

Aria looked confused. "I'm not really seeing the point here…?"

"Look, Aria, firstly, does Hanna _ever_ do her homework?" Spencer asked, trying to get Aria to figure it out on her own.

"No…" replied the short brunette.

"And second of all, if she _did_ do her homework, what are the chances that she'd get 98%, especially for _History_?"

"Oh, I see… yea, that _is_ weird…"

"Guys! I _didn't_ write an essay, for goodness sake! I don't even know what topic we're on in class!" Hanna exclaimed, frustrated at the situation. Pregnancy hormones didn't help either.

"Hanna, calm down. And how you know for sure that-" Spencer was cut off by the blonde.

"I received a phone call, Spence, a _phone call_. From a blocked ID. A _freaking_ _phone_ _call_, guys." Hanna was frantic.

"Well did it sound like a guy or girl?!" Aria asked, eyes wide.

"I don't know. He, she – whatever, it – whispered."

The trio sighed in unison. Just as they thought they could out-wit **A**, he or she had already out-witted them.

"Look, there's nothing we can do now. We should just wait and see-… Han, do you have the essay?" Spencer asked.

"No," Hanna replied, shaking her head. "And-" The blonde was cut off by her laptop making a notification sound. She got up from her bed and made her way to her desk. "Well, looks like now I _do_ have the essay."

* * *

Emily was on her bed, silent tears streaming down her face. She thought she had just gotten her life back. She thought she had just gotten Maya back. And now, she was losing everything. Everything.

Then, she heard a knock on her door.

"Go away," she mumbled. The door opened anyways.

"Hey, you left your phone in my car-" Maya stopped dead in her sentence when she saw her girlfriend in tears. "Emily! What's wrong?!"

When the swimmer realised that she had company, she quickly wiped away her tears, forcing a smile.

"Hey babe," she greeted as if nothing was happening, or had happened.

"Em…" Maya frowned at how broken her partner looked.

"No, Maya, I'm fine… I… I just need some sleep, that's all," Emily quickly said, trying to make sure that her voice didn't break.

"Emily… I can clearly see you're not okay…" Maya softly said, putting the taller girl's phone down before making her way to Emily's bed.

"Maya, please, just… Just go. Leave, please," Emily said, unable to hold back her tears anymore.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Maya ignored Emily's request and sat down on the bed.

"Maya, please. Please, just go… please…" the taller girl whispered, tears freely streaming down her face.

"Emily. Stop trying to push me away." Maya sighed, "I love you, you know that…"

At that, Emily cried even harder, and this was frustrating Maya. She needed to know what was going on if she wanted to help her.

"Babe, please…" Maya put an arm around Emily, only to have the taller girl tense up and move away.

"Maya, I promise I'm fine. Please, this isn't the time to do this. Go. Please. I'll call you later, I promise."

Maya sighed. She knew she wasn't going to get anything out of Emily. Not yet, anyways.

"Alright. Call me." She stood up and headed towards the door. Maya stopped and turned around. "_I_ _love_ _you_."

* * *

"Aren't you gonna open it?" Aria asked, after observing Hanna's finger hover over the touchpad on her laptop.

"Huh? Uh, yea, yea… I probably should, shouldn't I…" Hanna muttered.

"Han? Is there something you're not telling us?" Spencer questioned, frowning.

"What? No, no… I'm not hiding anything, just anxious… Like what if…" Hanna failed to complete her sentence.

"What if what, Han?!" Aria asked.

"You know what? Nothing. Let's just get this over and done with." Hanna clicked on 'open attachment'. Before Hanna or Aria could start reading it, Spencer snatched the laptop from them.

"Close your eyes," said Spencer, taking the laptop away from them.

"Look, Spence, this isn't the time to be playing guess the word-" Hanna began, but was cut off my Spencer.

"Trust me, Han. Now close your eyes, both of you," said Spencer, taking a deep breath in. "Tell me if something sounds odd, or stands out."

* * *

Mrs Veronica Hastings was walking out of the school when she heard someone call her.

"Mrs Hastings?"

She turned around, only to see the History teacher's face.

"Oh, Ms Van Huisten, what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about Spencer. Her grades are falling bit by bit…" the teacher said, frowning slightly.

"Oh, I see," Veronica said, she too, frowning. "And what would you exactly mean by 'falling bit by bit'?"

"Slowly, but noticeably. She's missed school twice in the past three weeks..." Van Huisten continued, as Spencer missing _school_ was a big thing.

"Look, I'm running a little late right now; I'm needed in court in a few minutes. Could we perhaps talk about this somewhere else? Over a coffee maybe?" Veronica suggested.

"Um, sure."

"Great, here's my card, give me a call," said Veronica, before walking away.

* * *

"_'As I draw the conclusion of this project from the perspective of the Japanese, I am safe to say that-…'_" Spencer abruptly stopped reading. Hanna and Aria snapped their eyes open.

"What is it, Spence?!" Hanna frantically asked.

"I… I think… I think I got it," Spencer said, hurriedly getting off Hanna's bed with the laptop glued to her hands. "Gimme a sec, guys. And Hanna, give me a piece of paper and something to write with."

* * *

**_8 days later_**

The bell at Rosewood High rang, signalling the end of English with Mrs Montgomery. Sighing, the four Liars picked up their bags and proceeded out of the class.

"Okay, so I'll see you guys after school? My house?" Spencer asked as she led the girls to her locker.

"Yea," Hanna and Aria said in unison.

"Uh, sorry, I can't. I have swim practice," Emily lied, faking a smile.

"Alright, I'll see you two after school then," Spencer said to the blonde and the shortest brunette before walking off to class first.

"Don't know why she's in such a rush," Hanna muttered to Aria, who nodded.

"Okay, Em, we'll catch you later," said Aria, before throwing her a quick smile and heading to her locker with Hanna by her side.

* * *

"Finally," the blonde mumbled, as the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. Hanna was the first one out of class, so she slouched against the wall, waiting for Spencer and Aria to emerge.

"You ran out of class like it was on fire," said someone from the other side of the hall.

"Caleb, hey," Hanna greeted, walking up to peck him.

"History, huh? How's Van Huisten?" Caleb mocked, teasing his girlfriend.

"Ug, don't even mention it. She's like… I don't know, she's just a horrible teacher…" Hanna sighed, shaking her head at the thought.

Caleb laughed. "You want a ride home?"

"Thanks, but no thanks… I'm just waiting for slow-ass Spencer and Aria to come out. I promised Spencer I'd come over after school…"

"No worries. I'll call you later, okay?" Caleb smiled.

"Sure. Bye," Hanna idly said, grinning.

A few minutes after Caleb had left, Aria emerged, followed by Spencer.

"I still can't believe-" Spencer was cut off by Aria.

"Spence, chill. A 95% isn't going to kill you," the short brunette rolled her eyes, chuckling.

"Yea, but… Alright, alright. Come on, let's get home."

"Actually, I need to drop by somewhere real quick. I'll see you guys at your house, Spence," Aria said, digging for her car keys in her bag.

"Ah, going to _Fitz's_, are we?!" Hanna teased, wriggling her eyebrows.

"Maybe," Aria replied, blushing.

"Well, little duckling, we'll see you soon," Spencer said, before turning on her feet and walking towards the school exit.

"Did she just call me-" Aria began.

"Yup, I think so…" Hanna cut Aria off.

* * *

Emily was standing by her locker, getting all her things out, wanting to go home.

"Hey babe," Maya grinned, wrapping her arms around Emily from behind, only to have the taller girl tense up and pull away.

"Hey," she mumbled quietly.

"Em, what's up with you? Something's bothering you," Maya asked, trying to take Emily's hand, but the swimmer instantly pulled away.

"Why does something have to be wrong every time I don't wanna talk?" Emily snapped. Maya was taken aback by the sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry I just assumed-" she began, but was cut off.

"That's the problem. You assumed. Just let things go," Emily snarled.

"Okay, if there's something I did to you or something that happened, I would seriously like to know here! Seriously Emily! We just got back together, and already you're shutting me out again! I thought no more secrets! I thought we were finally good! Past the hard stuff!" Maya said, raising her voice.

"Not here, Maya. Let's do this another time," Emily hissed as people walking past gave them looks.

"No! This has to be resolved now, right here!"

"Fine. Okay, look, we just... Right now I can't think about us Maya. I have things to worry about." Emily sighed. She made sure to avert her eyes so the shorter girl wouldn't see her tears.

"_Unbelievable_. Just _completely_ unbelievable! Do I have to almost die again for you, or what?" she nearly yelled.

"You don't know _anything_! You know _nothing_! And if you would have been there instead of hanging out with your stupid brother this wouldn't have happened!" as soon as the words were out of Emily's mouth she regretted them, but she was too angry to care. At least, she thought she was, until she saw the look of pure hurt in Maya's eyes. "I didn't... I didn't mean to..." Emily stuttered, but Maya held up her hand, trying to force back her tears.

"Just... _Don't_. Don't even try... Just… _don't_..." Maya whispered, walking away in tears, too angry and upset to notice the stream that had started flowing down Emily's face.

* * *

I walked into the store – looks like I'm the only customer.

"I need five copies of this," I said in a low tone, handing the old man an old fashioned video tape.

"That'd be $25," the old man said in a Southern accent.

"Done."


	29. Chapter 29: Filming is -A's Hobby

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

**_Two days later _**

It was around 2:00 in the morning, and Emily Fields was tossing and turning, much like she had been doing for the past few hours, hell, for the past few nights. Maya had been ignoring her since the fight a few days ago, and now, hurt had taken away the exhaustion and she just felt empty.

Emily lay with her eyes closed, trying to fall asleep, but she was disturbed with a chime, indicating she had received a text. The swimmer considered ignoring it, but in hopes that it could be Maya, she got out of her comfort space and retrieved her phone, before dragging herself back to bed again. She flipped her phone up: _One new text message from 'Babe'._ Delighted, Emily hurriedly clicked on 'read text'.

_Hi Emily, I don't know if you're asleep yet. We need to talk. As soon as possible. Please message me when you read this._

_Maya_

_Shit_. Maya never wrote out words like you would in an English essay, let alone call her 'Emily' in texts, or even say 'Maya' at the end of her texts. To be honest, Emily felt a little bit angry towards Maya – she had sent her thousands of texts and tried to call her so many times, yet none of those were returned. And now, suddenly, at two A.M. in the morning, she can send her a text saying that they need to talk?

On the other hand, Emily did know that she was being distant with her partner. She should have either hid it better, or should have told Maya. _Should have._

_Whenever you can. Tell me the time and I'll be there._

_Emily_

The athlete pressed send, before closing her eyes and imagining the worst. Was Maya going to give their relationship the final say? Was it over? All because of Emily's ex?

She was snapped out of her reality-nightmare when her phone chimed again, probably indicating another message received. Hands shaking, she clicked on 'view message'.

_Oh, you're not asleep now… Is it possible for me to come over now, or something?_

_Maya_

'Shit. If it was this desperate, she's probably fallen in love with another person and wants to end things ASAP with me,' Emily thought.

_You can come over._

_Emily_

The swimmer sighed heavily and got out of bed to switch into casual clothes from her fluffy pyjamas. She sat back down on her bed and tried to calm her nerves. Time didn't move at all, but at last, she got another text.

_I'm outside your house._

_Maya_

Emily took a deep breath in and exhaled before getting up from her bed and quickly but quietly making her way downstairs. She opened the door slowly so it didn't squeak, before standing aside to let the other girl in.

_Man, it was awkward._

"Hi," Maya greeted softly, in a whisper. There was something in her eyes that almost made Emily believe that she was here to get back with her. _Almost._

"Hi," Emily replied, her back to Maya, closing the door. "I think my room would be the best place… do you want something to drink?"

"No, thanks. I just need to get this talk over and done with." _Or not_.

_I knew it. She's gonna break up with me,_ Emily thought. Internally, her mind had shattered.

"Alright," the swimmer said it in a low tone before leading the way to her room, up the stairs. Emily stopped by her mother's door to see if she was still asleep. Good, she was.

"Maya, I-"

"Emily, I-"

They both spoke in unison. "You first," Maya said.

The swimmer sighed before nodding. "Maya… You have no idea how bad I feel for snapping at you… I was frustrated, and-"

"That's what I'm here to ask. Frustrated from what, Emily? What's bothering you so much that you couldn't even tell me?" the musician asked softly, looking right into Emily's brown eyes. _She sees right through me_ Emily thought.

She had to lie. She couldn't tell Maya that she had been sexually abused by her former partner. "No… n-nothing major, I was just frustrated because of swimming and-"

Emily stopped talking when Maya started shaking her head.

"Emily, don't. Don't lie again, please. I know it's something more that's bothering you, not just swimming. I mean, flinching every time I hug you, or tensing up every time I tap you? What happened? Please, rather comfort me with the truth than hurt me with a lie…"

_The truth could never comfort you, Maya. _"Maya… is there a piece of information you're not telling me?" Emily asked.

"N-no… why would you think that?" The shorter girl looked away.

"There is, isn't there?! There is no other explanation on why you're suddenly in my room at half two in the morning!"

Maya sighed in defeat and pulled her phone out. She fiddled with it for a few seconds before clicking on a few buttons, and finally, handing it over to Emily.

_'Your girlfriend's going through a tough time, Mayakinns. Just ask her! But I don't know if she'll tell you the truth, considering the fact that she's an excellent pretty little liar…_

_Kisses!_

_-A'_

The taller girl gasped as she read the message. _No. No, no, no, no, no! **A** can't do this!_

"When did you-"

"Last night. I've been thinking about it ever since. And I can't shake the feeling that this is something really big. Like serious things."

"I… I can't, Maya. No, I can't." Emily started breathing hard, as she recalled the events of that eventful day. "Oh gosh, no, I can't."

"Emily? Emily! Breathe! Emily, look me in the eye," Maya said, as loud as she dared.

"Maya, I can't tell anyone. I can't. I can't force myself to relive that. No. I can't," Emily panted, pitied tears running down her cheeks. "Please, Maya. _Please_."

"Shh, shh, Em, hush. It's alright, Emily, it's okay. I'm not going to force you to say a word. Shh…" the shorter girl did her best to comfort the shaking Liar.

* * *

"I'm sorry you had to see my breakdown," Emily said, softly laughing at herself.

"Trust me, it was scary, but I understand," Maya replied, absent-mindedly running her hands through her partner's raven hair.

But a thought was constantly popping back up on the musician's mind. Emily had told her that if Maya wasn't with her _stupid brother, none of this would have happened_. What thing? What thing wouldn't have happened?

"Em?" Maya called. She didn't get a reply. When she looked down, her girlfriend was fast asleep.

* * *

Ten hours later at Rosewood High, the bell rang, signalling the beginning of the delightful lunch break.

"Hey," Aria said, catching up to Spencer who was on her heels.

"Oh afternoon, Aria. Did you watch the news this morning? They've reopened the case involving the old man from two years ago. Toby stopped by and gave me this bracelet thing that he said he found in the-"

"Whoa, Spence, easy! And, I think you've had enough of that," Aria laughed, taking the coffee out of Spencer's hand.

"Hey, I wasn't done with that!" Spencer exclaimed, "and it was my first cup!"

Aria gave Spencer that look that said _I see through you._

"Okay, fine, second cup."

Aria's expression still didn't change.

"Third?" Spencer said it more as a question.

Aria's expression stayed rigidly the same.

"Fine, fine, gosh, sixth," the taller brunette said, sighing in defeat.

"Spencer!" Aria half shouted. "You're pregnant! You can't have _that_ much caffeine! Ezra doesn't even allow me to have _one_ cup!"

"It keeps me going, okay? I barely had any sleep last night. Oh, and I sort of figured out the meaning of the coded message. You know how **A** said, _'A good lawyer won't be needed. Stop searching, or I'll hurt you severely. You and your precious little mini.'_?" Spencer had been working on the 'essay' that –A had written – there had turned out to be a hidden message behind it.

"Yea…" Aria replied.

"What if –A was trying to tell me that I shouldn't go to law school or something?" Spencer asked.

"Okay, Spencer, I'm pretty sure –A doesn't really care what field you go into. Something tells me the message had nothing to do with us, and something to do with someone else, and besides, Hanna's the one was targeted in this one…"

* * *

Emily was unpacking her bag. She had just gotten back from school.

"Ug," she muttered. Her books had fallen onto the floor. As she bent down to pick them up, she heard a ding dong. _Must be mom… she's probably left her keys or something,_ thought Emily. She made her way downstairs, shouting "I'm coming!" while doing so.

She opened the door. "Mom, I thought you were working late-" The athlete stopped dead in the middle of her sentence when she saw who was at her door.

"M-Maya? What're you doing here?" she asked. The darker girl had red eyes, evidence that she had been crying.

Maya sniffed, "Emily…"

"What's wrong? Come in, come in."

"Em…" Maya looked at Emily as if she… almost… felt _sorry_.

"Maya, you're scaring me… What is it?" Emily asked, full of concern. Without another word, however, Maya pulled her into a tight hug.

"Why didn't you tell me," she whispered, crying.

"Tell you? Tell you what?" Emily frantically asked. Although there was a thought rising at the back of her head, she refused to believe it and pushed it back down.

"I know, Em. Don't try to keep it anymore. I know about it," Maya muttered, crying even harder. Emily wriggled out of the tight embrace.

"K-know about w-what?" She felt her mouth get dry.

"What h-happened on the d-day when I was with D-D-Dante…" Maya tried to hold her tears in.

"No…" Emily whispered, her face draining blood.

* * *

"How did you find out?" Emily softly asked, running her fingers through Maya's hair.

"**A**."

"What? **A**? How?" Emily made eye contact with Maya.

"Em… I had a video sent to me…"

"No!... No ways…" Emily felt herself getting weak. "Maya, I need that video."

"Emily… Are you… are you sure?" she asked cautiously. The swimmer just nodded slowly.

Maya got up from Emily's lap and got her phone out of her bag. "Here," she muttered.

As Emily started watching the video, memories and tears flooded her.

_"Ben, don't." A whisper. A desperate whisper._

_"Shh, babe, just relax." _Although the words sounded innocent, his tone was pure evil._ "Now, just lose the towel."_

_"No," Emily said loudly, clutching onto the towel so hard that her knuckles turned white. Ben tugged on the towel, hard, but the swimmer held onto it with equal strength._

_"Fields, lose the towel before I make you regret your life," the boy spat, "you can't win anyways. I've got you now."_

Emily remembered herself holding onto the towel for dear life. She remembered spitting in his eye.

_"You bitch!" Ben screamed, before yanking the towel off of Emily's head and wiping his face. He walked back up to her and slapped her across the face. "I tried to be gentle with you, but you're too stubborn. You're leaving me no choice but to use this." _

_Ben pulled out a small bottle that contained some liquid, and a small handkerchief. Emily took the chance to try and run away – and failed. He grabbed her by her arm before throwing her to the floor. He quickly spread some of the liquid onto the piece of cloth before pressing it down firmly onto the swimmer's mouth and nose. Emily felt her body get suddenly weak. Her muscles relaxed – she tried to move – she couldn't. _

"I-I can't," Emily said, letting the phone fall onto her bed. She couldn't relive the terror. She had watched enough, seeing herself get drugged, but she knew she would die if she saw the actual event.

"It's okay, Em, it's okay," Maya muttered, pulling Emily's head onto her shoulder. Both girls were crying, hard.

* * *

"Okay, I'm ready. Might as well get this over and done with," Emily said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"What do you mean?" Maya asked.

"Questions. Ask me anything, and I'll tell you truthfully."

"Do you hate me?" Maya asked.

"What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?!" Emily asked, shocked.

"When we had our last fight, you told me that it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't with my brother-"

"Maya. No. Forget about that conversation… I was frustrated and damaged…"

"You know, you're going to have to go on trial against that-"

"Easy on the words, Maya," Emily smiled.

"Em! He raped you!"

Emily cringed. "Could we not say that word?"

"Sorry…" she apologised.

* * *

I pressed on the 'stop record' button before cautiously putting my phone in my pocket. I proceeded to carefully climbing down the roof. Once I was down, I took my phone out again before gracefully distributing the video. Ha, Pam was going to have a nasty shock…


	30. Chapter 30: Liars' Lips Are SeAled

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_I pressed on the 'stop record' button before cautiously putting my phone in my pocket. I proceeded to carefully climbing down the roof. Once I was down, I took my phone out again before gracefully distributing the video. Ha, Pam was going to have a nasty shock…_

* * *

Maya had gone home after Emily claimed that she wanted to sleep, and the swimmer now lay on her bed, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, she heard her front door open. Frantically, she bolted up from bed and crept quietly to her door.

"Maya?" she called. No reply. "Mom?"

"Emily, honey, are you home?" her mother's voice called.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Emily replied, "Yea, mom, I'm here! Coming!"

Emily went downstairs. "Hey, sweetie. I was going to call you when I went to the grocery store to ask if you needed anything, but just on time, my phone's battery died… can you please put it on charge while I put these away?" Pam asked her daughter.

"Sure," the brunette replied before taking the phone from her mother's handbag and heading upstairs. She opened her mother's room door before stepping in and closing it behind her. Emily walked up to the charger before simply putting the phone on charge.

As she was about to walk out, the mirror caught her eye. _"Wow, I look… swollen,"_ she said to herself before shaking her head.

_Beep beep_

Pam's phone beeped, indicating that she had received a text. Usually, this wouldn't bother the young athlete, but something in her told her that she should open it. Plus, even if it was just a harmless text from her mother's work, no harm done in just opening it, right? Hands shaking, Emily cautiously clicked on 'open'.

_Hello, Pam. You might want to watch this. You're welcome._

_-A_

The swimmer's heart dropped into her stomach as she read the **A** text. She didn't want to watch the video, but she knew that she didn't have a choice. Emily clicked on 'view'.

_"Okay, I'm ready. Might as well get this over and done with," Emily said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve._

_"Ready?" Maya questioned._

_"Questions. Ask me anything, and I'll tell you truthfully."_

_"Do you hate me?" Maya asked._

_"What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?!" Emily asked, shocked._

_"When we had our last fight, you told me that it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't with my brother-" _

_"Maya. No. Forget about that conversation… I was frustrated and damaged…" _

_"You know, you're going to have to go on trial against that-"_

_"Easy on the words, Maya," Emily smiled._

_"Em! He raped you!"_

_Emily cringed. "Could we not say that word?"_

_"Sorry…" she apologised._

The screen went black once it had finished playing the video. Numb from the shock, Emily dropped her mother's phone. _**A** had just sent her mother a video of her and Maya's conversation. What was this devil going to do next? Her mom couldn't find out about the incident, no way. _Once the Sharks' swimmer had regained some sort her consciousness, she quickly dropped to the floor, retrieving the phone and deleting the message. There, it was done now. Mom would never have to know that such a video had ever been sent to her.

But if only **A** was that stupid…

* * *

Spencer parked walked into her house, sighing. It had been a tough day. As she made her way upstairs, she heard her mom call.

"Spencer? Is that you?"

The tall brunette sighed. "Yea, mom, it's me. Who else?" she mumbled the last part.

"I need to talk to you," Veronica said, emerging from the other side of the house.

"That's what we're doing right now," Spencer answered cockily, slouching against the wall. Her mother gave her a look.

"Don't give me attitude right now, Spencer."

"I'm sorry, okay? It's been a long day, and I'm tired. I just want to wash up and sleep…" As if to prove her point, she yawned.

"Spencer, I spoke with your teacher a few days ago. She said your grades were dropping and you were bunking classes. Is this true?" the lawyer asked, frowning.

"Mom-"

"_No_, Spencer. No more excuses. No more lies. Are you, or are you not skipping school? What about your grades?" Veronica's voice became stern.

"Yes, mom, I skipped school a few times, and I promise I won't again. But my grades aren't that bad, honest." Spencer sighed and covered her face.

"Honey, I know that school isn't the easiest sometimes, but you're going to have to apply to colleges soon, and-"

"Yes, _mother_, I get it. I've heard this talk since I was a _foetus_. Now can I _please_ go to my room and just stay there in peace before Melissa or Dad or _someone_ comes barging in again?" the tall athlete pleaded.

The lawyer sighed. "Sure."

* * *

Aria was taking a hot, relaxing bath – apparently, it was good for pregnant people. She sighed a happy sigh. Was it going to be a girl? A boy? Whatever the gender would be, Aria promised herself she'd be happy.

The short brunette reached out to grab one of the shaving tools from the tiny, clear, plastic box where Ezra kept his razors. Next, the pregnant student applied a generous amount of soap onto her leg before putting the razor into action.

While this was taking place in his bathroom, Ezra was sat on the couch, with a mug of earned-coffee in his hand, the other, holding a book – To Kill A Mockingbird. Suddenly, he heard his child-bearer scream.

"EZRA FITZGERALD!"

_Shit_. It never was a good sign when Aria used his full surname. Putting his coffee and book down, he ran to the bathroom. He opened the door carefully and poked his head through.

"You okay, babe?" he asked.

"Ezra," Aria whined, "I cut my freaking leg! Now's it's bloody!"

"Aw, Aria, I'm sorry," Ezra fake cooed, teasing Aria.

"Ezra! This isn't funny! How many times have I told you to get a blunter razor?! This is the second time I've done this!" Aria frowned.

"Aria-"

"Seriously, I'm the one who's hairier! I mean, how many hairs do you have on your chin? And how many hairs do I have on both my legs?!" the brunette raged.

"Aria, look at me. Take a breath," Ezra said, trying his best to suppress a laugh.

Aria sighed, "Ug… Hey, I'm just gonna rinse off and I'll be out in a few…"

"Sure. Be careful with my razors, Aria," Ezra chuckled, before kissing her wet forehead and walking out.

The ex-high-school English teacher returned to his seat to resume his previous activity. A couple of pages through, he heard his bathroom door open. Out emerged Aria, wearing his grey bathrobe.

"Is Aria's leggy all better now?" Ezra teased in a mocking voice, smirking.

"Funny, Mr Fitz, _very_ funny," Aria said sarcastically, sitting on the other end of the couch.

Ezra patted his lap, putting his mug and coffee on the table. "Come 'ere."

Aria happily obliged and straddled his lap, her hair still wet.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

"For what?" he asked, kissing her nose.

"For lashing out earlier," she replied, closing her eyes.

"Aria, look at me." She opened her eyes. "You never have to say you're sorry, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Caleb walked into the Marin household, holding two bags of Chinese take-out.

"Hanna?" he called. "Hanna?" He didn't get a reply. He whipped his phone out, about to dial her number, but he heard a noise from upstairs. The hacker quietly made his way, following the sounds. Caleb was led to Hanna's bathroom. What she was doing surprised him and enraged him.

* * *

Emily was lying on her bed, doing homework on her laptop when her mother appeared at the door.

"Are you busy?" she asked in a small voice.

"M-mom, uh, no, not really… Why, is everything okay? Is dad okay?" the swimmer frantically asked.

"Yes, honey, your father's fine… I… I need to talk to you…"

It sounded serious, which worried the athlete. "Mom, what is it?!"

"Emily, I need you to be honest with me. I got a text from your phone today… more of a… a video…"

"W-w-wh-what kind o-of v-video?" Emily asked, stuttering and fearing the worst.

"Well… Here, watch for yourself," Pam replied, handing her daughter her phone.

"No, mom, please, just tell me what it was!" she shouted, getting into a panic state.

"Baby… just watch it. Please."

_"Okay, I'm ready. Might as well get this over and done with," Emily said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve._

_"Ready?" Maya questioned._

_"Questions. Ask me anything, and I'll tell you truthfully."_

_"Do you hate me?" Maya asked._

_"What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?!" Emily asked, shocked._

_"When we had our last fight, you told me that it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't with my brother-" _

_"Maya. No. Forget about that conversation… I was frustrated and damaged…" _

_"You know, you're going to have to go on trial against that-"_

_"Easy on the words, Maya," Emily smiled._

_"Em! He raped you!"_

_Emily cringed. "Could we not say that word?"_

_"Sorry…" she apologised._

Emily gasped. Really? How was this even possible? **A** mailed it from her own phone?

"W-where's my phone?" Emily asked, getting up to look around. Her mother grabbed her arm.

"Sit," she instructed. "Emily, tell me. Was this video some sort of… way to tell me something? I know what was being talked about in the video isn't true-…" Pam stopped talking when she saw the pale look on Emily's face. "E-Emily?"

_It's now or never. Tell mom!_

"M-mom…" Emily failed to complete her sentence.

* * *

**_A few hours later_**

Spencer knocked on the Fields' door, along with Aria. Hanna was absent from their so-called 'meeting'.

Pam answered. She had blood-shot eyes, with a used tissue in her hand.

"Hello girls… I'm not sure Emily's taking any visitors now, but you're welcome to come in…"

"Uh, sure, Mrs Fields…" Spencer answered, giving Aria a _what-was-that-about?_ look. The shorter brunette shrugged.

"She hasn't been herself since the incident, and I should have noticed that, but I didn't-… Oh, what mother am I? Not even knowing the traumas going on in your daughter's life…"

_Shit, Pam knows about **A**_ was the first thought that flashed through both girls' minds.

"I mean, how could I have missed it? The signs? She was refusing to come out of her room most times, and she… my poor baby…"

"Mrs Fields, we know Emily's had a hard time during the past few months-" Spencer was cut off here.

"Past months? You mean it's been more than a few days? Maybe a week?" Pam's eyes widened.

"Yes. Yes, this enemy's been everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time for at least a year-"

"What?! A year? Emily's been getting raped for a year?!" Pam asked, shaking uncontrollably.

"Rape?!" Aria and Spencer asked at the same time.

"What's going on?" a small voice by the stairs asked. There, stood Emily Fields, the victim of the crime-scene.

* * *

"This is exactly why things like this shouldn't get out!" Emily screamed, tears running down her face.

"Em, we're trying to help…" Spencer replied, looking at the swimmer like she was an injured puppy.

"No! I don't want your help! I don't want your pity! I just want to be alone, do you get that?"

"Em…" Aria trailed off.

"No. No, no, no, no, no!" Emily raged, breaking down further, if that was even possible. "I can't do this. No, I can't. How am I supposed to face facts?"

Suddenly, Emily fell to the floor, breathing hard and heavy. Not enough oxygen was reaching her lungs.

"Shit," Spencer muttered, before rushing down next to her broken friend. After a few minutes, she turned to Aria.

"She needs help. Professional help."

And we all know where professional help-seeking patients go.

Radley Sanitarium.


	31. Chapter 31: A Repetition of History

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

**Trigger warning**

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars_

_Caleb walks in on Hanna doing something that shocks him tremendously. Emily has a mental break-down, which results in Spencer saying that she needs 'professional help'._

* * *

**Same day as last chapter**

Caleb walked into the Marin household, holding two bags of Chinese take-out.

"Hanna?" he called. "Hanna?" He didn't get a reply. He whipped his phone out, about to dial her number, but he heard a noise from upstairs. The hacker quietly made his way, following the sounds. Caleb was led to Hanna's bathroom. What she was doing surprised him and enraged him.

"Hanna! What the-" he shouted, before dropping everything and rushing to her side. The blonde, obviously not expecting anyone, jumped up in surprise, dabbing the corner of her mouth with the end of her sleeve.

"C-C-Caleb… wh-what are you d-doing he-here?" the blonde weakly asked.

"Hanna, what _were_ you thinking?! What _are_ you thinking?!" Caleb asked, his voice becoming softer towards the end of his sentence.

"It-it's not wh-what it-it looks like," Hanna stuttered, tears in her eyes, trying to defend herself.

"Really?" Caleb raised an eyebrow. Hanna sighed in defeat. She knew damn well that she'd been caught.

"Caleb…" she trailed off.

* * *

"No! I'm not going to that place! It'd be the end of me!" Emily shrieked, shaking her head vigorously at Spencer, Aria, Maya, and her mother.

"Em…" Spencer started.

"No! Spencer, no. I'm not going. _What part_ of 'I'm not going' do you _not understand_?! I'm not freaking going to that _madhouse_! _No_!" Emily looked to Maya. "Maya, back me up here!"

The shorter, darker girl sighed. "Mrs Fields, Aria, Spence… could I have a minute alone with Emily?"

"Sure," the two high school girls said in unison. Pam was a little confused, but agreed.

Once the three other people had gone upstairs to give Maya and Emily some privacy, Emily started talking.

"Maya, there's no way in _hell_ I'm going there. I'm not going. I'm not going. _I'm not going_!" she said, in a state of panic, shaking her head again.

"Shh, shh, Emily, look at me. Look at me," Maya repeated, gently guiding the athlete's face to face hers. "Take a breath, babe. Hell, take five."

Emily did as she was told. "Maya. I can't go there. I refuse to go to Radley. No way."

"Look, Em, you've been through a lot. You've been through things that other girls this age can't even possibly dream about. You're getting stalked by a crazy, insane psychopath; you've been just sexually abused by your ex-boyfriend who has some nasty things against you who you _still_ have to go on trial against, and you're still closeted. To the public and your parents," the shorted girl finished, looking directly into Emily's soft-brown orbs.

"Maya…" Emily whispered, closing her eyes and dropping her head.

"Emily, I know it's hard, okay? I know it. But things aren't going to get better if we keep hiding behind non-solid walls that can fall with one push. It's not good enough for you. Go to Radley, get professional treatment, and come back stronger and more determined. You're an amazingly strong person, baby, you just need a little help – a hand pulling you up from your fall this time. Besides, those walls and security thingies at Radley aren't just to keep people in. They keep people out too. More specifically, it'll keep **A** out. You'll be safe for a while, Em."

The athlete sighed. She knew what Maya was saying was the truth. If she checked into Radley, **A** couldn't get to her for however long she was in there for. On the other hand, she felt though as if she was betraying her friends and her girlfriend for 'running away to a safe place' and leaving them behind.

On cue, as if Maya had read Emily's mind, she spoke. "You don't have to worry about me, or your friends, Em. We can take care of ourselves. You don't have to feel bad."

"That's the thing, Maya, I don't know if I would be able to live with myself if something happened to one of you girls while I was 'in a safe place'," said Emily, sighing.

"Em. You've got to stop worrying about others before you even have time to worry about yourself. It's like you're sacrificing yourself for others, and you don't see the full consequence of it before it's gone too far. Please, go. Go to Radley. We'll still be all okay and well when you get back, you know. None of us are gonna disappear."

While the girls were having their intense conversation downstairs, Pam, Aria and Spencer were upstairs, with Pam, pacing up and down.

"Mrs Fields, Maya's a great talker. Emily will know what to do," Spencer assured her friend's mother.

"About that, who exactly is Maya? I've seen her around with Emily quite a couple of times, but… Who is she?" Pam asked curiously.

"Uh…" Spencer and Aria exchanged nervous glances. "I think Emily's the one who should tell you," Aria finally said.

"Oh… alright, then…"

* * *

"Caleb…" Hanna trailed off.

"Han, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Caleb reassured his girlfriend, rubbing her back gently.

The blonde's response was sniffing.

"Hanna…"

"Caleb, uh, just… give me a moment to quickly… brush my teeth… and I'll be out, okay?"

"Sure," the boy replied, before kissing her temple softly and walking out of the scenery.

_Crap_, Hanna thought as she flushed the toilet, wiping her eyes. She quickly brushed her teeth before slowly making her way into her room, where she knew her boyfriend awaited.

"Hey," she said softly, breaking his trance.

"Hey," he replied, standing up and walking up to her. She saw that he was genuinely concerned by the look in his eyes. "Hanna…"

Hearing him talk in that voice made her choke up. Tears formed in her eyes, and soon, she was in his embrace, crying silent tears onto his shoulder.

"Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Caleb whispered, gently stroking the blonde's head. The boy led them to the bed, where they he sat her down. "Han?"

"Before all this **A** thing started, back when Ali was alive… she… She taught me to cope with things that I couldn't deal with on my own…" Hanna began telling the story that she had never shared with anyone else before. Tears ran down her cheeks continuously, but she managed not to stutter. "I used to binge eat, like eat obsessively when I was stressed, and my parents were going through a divorce at that time, and uh…"

"Take it easy, babe. I'm right here," Caleb encouraged, holding her hand.

"You know how my nickname used to be Hefty Hanna?" Caleb nodded. "Well, Ali - she used to discourage me to eat… she told me she was 'being a friend'… One day, um, I was really… freaking out at my dad leaving my mom and I, and… I was binge eating, when Alison walked in on me… She… she saw me and… uh… she told me that she could teach me how to 'get rid of it'…" Hanna sobbed.

"Han… that's _so_ unhealthy…" Caleb gently whispered, pulling his pregnant-girlfriend into a tight hug.

"I know… I know… it's just… It's just that I feel all fat now, like seriously fat. My clothes just fit, and even if it doesn't show, I feel a bump. It's small, but when I put on my clothes, I can feel it. Caleb, make it go away," she sobbed, still crying into his embrace.

"Hey, Hanna," Caleb said, pulling out of the embrace. "Look at me. Look at me."

She looked at him.

"You're carrying two _precious_ lives inside of you. You're carrying 'mini-me's, or 'mini you's. You're everything _but_ fat. You're beautiful, insanely beautiful. And I wouldn't make the baby bump go away even if I could. It's evidence of life. Evidence." That was all that was needed to make Hanna break down. She sobbed and sobbed, mumbling 'you're right's, and 'I'm sorry's.

* * *

**Later that night**

Maya lay on her bed, thinking about Emily's emotional state, and everything else that had to do with her girlfriend. She wanted to kill Ben and **A** with her bare hands, but there were problems to killing both these douchbags. Firstly, with **A** – Maya couldn't find him, her, it, whatever, and secondly, with Ben, as much as she wanted him dead, she wanted to see him get locked up and rot in a cell until his hair turned grey. She wanted Emily to go on trial against him and put him there.

Thinking about Emily so much made her mind go back to a few weeks ago, when she felt so madly in love with her girlfriend.

_Maya fought hard not to scream. She was up and about in her room, pacing, at 9:54pm. The house was empty and she felt terrified. She crossed her arms and felt hot tears dripping down her face, but she didn't bother trying to be quiet. The crash of thunder was enough to mask the sounds she made as she sobbed. She didn't know what to do anymore. Emily was just so… distant. Of course, the musician knew the reason behind it, but that didn't help her to help the swimmer out in any way. Maya had always hated storms, but with one more thing on her mind to keep her worried, she was one breath away from a panic attack. Suddenly, she felt arms around her waist and a gentle pair of lips attack her neck._

_"Wh-what are you doing here?" Maya asked, fighting the crack in her voice._

_"I know you hate storms," Emily responded, continuing her feast of gentle kisses. "And, I've been a real bitch to you lately… It's just… it's hard to deal with everything that's going on in my life, and I didn't want to drag you into it, but you're a part of this whether I like it or not because you're a part of my life. A part of my pretty messed up life… and I can't bear losing you, especially when I'm the one pushing you away… Maya, I love you," the athlete chocked on her words, and tears formed in the shorter girl's eyes. Yes, this wasn't the first time her girlfriend had confessed her love for her, but this time, Maya could see the spark of hope and truth in the swimmer's eyes. Emily pulled Maya into a tight hug._

_"I love you too, Emily," Maya whispered. She then broke the embrace and led them to the bed. The couple crawled under the covers, and for the first time in her life, Maya St. Germain slept as soundly as a baby whilst a storm howled outside her window._

* * *

Spencer sighed as she threw her head back on the couch. Toby turned his head sharply to look at her.

"You okay, Spence?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, yea, I'm fine… just tired, frustrated, confused, angry, mad-"

"Whoa, how does someone feel that many emotions and not explode?" Toby teased, sliding Spencer closer to himself.

"I don't know, Tobes… There's definitely something up with Hanna, Aria's being all moody, Emily might be going to Radley-"

"Wait, what?" Toby cut Spencer off for the second time in that conversation. "Emily might be going to Radley?!"

"Oh, uh… She's an emotional wreck right now… Uh, telling you what from wouldn't be the best thing to do, since I think she should be the one to tell you if she wants to…" the hockey player trailed off.

"I understand, Spencer. It's okay," Toby said, lightly grazing his lips against Spencer's neck, which made her close her eyes at the contact.

"I like it when you do that," Spencer said softly.

"Hey. I though you _loved_ it when I did that," Toby said playfully.


	32. Chapter 32: Inside Radley

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**Warning: LANGUAGE **

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars: Emily and Maya have an intense conversation about the athlete's emotional well-being. Pam starts to wonder who Maya is in her daughter's life. Hanna tells Caleb about her binge-eating and purging, and about Alison's 'encouragements'._

* * *

Emily woke with a start. She shuddered violently and sat up quickly. She took a moment to take in her _odd_ surroundings. Oh, wait, Radley was her 'home' for the time being. Letting out a heavy sigh, she turned herself so she could get off of her bed. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since she had been checked in, but it seemed like she had been there forever.

The tanned girl heard a knock at the door, followed by it opening. She turned her head towards the door.

"Oh hello, Emily. I hope you had a good sleep. I was dropping in to check on you."

"Uhm, yea, thanks. Not to be uh, _rude_, but… _who_ are you?" the confused athlete asked with a frown on her face. The woman standing in front of her couldn't be older than herself.

"Oh, right, I'm Sarah Bouwman, one of Radley's few volunteers," Sarah replied, smiling wide. She looked like a bubbly, cheerful person, at about 165cm with strawberry blonde hair and grey eyes.

"I see," Emily replied rather flatly. Sorry, but she wasn't here to make friends.

"I'll let your doctor know you're awake. He came in last night after you arrived to start the whole 'hi I'm so-and-so' procedure, but you were asleep, and he didn't want to wake you," the blonde woman said, keeping the smile in place. "Don't go anywhere!" she chimed, closing Emily's door.

The swimmer got down from her bed and walked over to her untouched, still-packed bag. She took out a framed picture of herself and Maya.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't be strong enough for you. I'm sorry you had to see this side of me. I'm sorry that I've left you in an unsafe place, with no one to protect you… baby…"

Emily was so focused on the picture that she hadn't heard her door open.

"I'm sorry about your partner. But look, the sooner we finish the scheduled programme and your emotional stress levels have straightened out, the sooner you can go home," said a familiar voice.

Emily snapped neck around. In surprise, she dropped the frame, causing the glass to shatter across the floor.

* * *

**_Rosewood High_**

The bell signalled the end of third period, which was followed by a short 10-minute break. Hanna liked to call it a 'brain-nap-session'.

She walked up to Aria and Spencer who were standing by the taller girl's locker.

"Hey guys," the blonde greeted. "Where's Em? I didn't see her today…"

"Why didn't you pick up your phone yesterday? The whole of yesterday?" Spencer automatically turned to face Hanna and questioned the shorter girl.

"Uh I had some things to sort out," Hanna said rather quietly, suddenly becoming interested in her newly-done nails.

"Well I hope your 'things to sort out' were really serious stuff, because Em's in Radley," Spencer snapped.

"What?!" came the blonde's surprised reply. Her jaw hit the ground and her eyeballs looked like they would pop out of their sockets.

"Yea," Aria said rather flatly.

"Why? Hello, guys, mind giving me the _whole_ story here?!" The blonde flapped her left arm.

Spencer sighed, "Yesterday, when we went to Em's house, Mrs Fields was crying and they were just both a mess. Emily's been raped, Han."

"What? When? By who?" Hanna raised her voice.

"Hush up, will you? Do you want the whole freaking school to know?" Aria scolded.

"Aria, _fucking_ tell me," Hanna warned, shaking her head.

"By Ben."

"Ben?! As in Emily's sweet-old-ex, Ben?! Benjamin Coogan?!"

"Not so sweet," Spencer said, sighing.

"_I'm gonna _kill _that fucking asshole!_" Hanna raged, turning on her heels and storming down the hallway, ready to fire a gun.

"Hanna!" both Aria and Spencer screamed, racing after the pissed-off blonde. "Hanna!"

The taller brunette caught up to her friend. "Han! Stop!" she yelled, grabbing her arm. By-passers stared strangely at them.

"Spence, let _go_! I need to teach that fucktard a lesson. A freaking big one. Maybe one that'll involve him not having babies again," Hanna mumbled the last few parts to herself, trying to tug her arm free from Spencer's death grip.

"Listen to yourself, Hanna! You can't _touch_ Ben right now, understand? Emily needs a fair trial against him and we can't have you thrown into the middle of it as well because you've given him what he deserves. Keep calm for Emily's sake. If you hurt Ben, he'll have a better defence attorney, one who could just save his ass from being kicked to China and back."

"Spence-"

"_No_, Hanna, don't you 'Spence' me right now. You _need _to leave him alone. Act like you don't know what's happened."

"How can I fucking act like nothing's happened when my _best friend _is sitting in a freaking mental institute?" she spat.

"Do it for her sake," Spencer said, taking a pause between every word. "If you tamper with him and he ends up getting a fairer trial than he deserves, I'm not going to forgive you," she threatened.

Hanna sighed heavily before snatching her arm away. "Whatever you want, _Your Majesty_."

* * *

"W-Wren?" Emily stuttered, her eyes, wide with shock.

"Hello, Emily," Wren grinned that British grin of his.

"Wha-what are you-… Are you my _doctor_?!" she asked.

"Indeed I am. Look, Emily, I know you aren't happy about it-"

"Happy about it? Hell no, of course not. I don't want you as a doctor, I don't want _you_."

"Emily, you have no choice. I was assigned to your case without-"

"Oh, so now I'm a _case_, huh, case number fifty-one? No? Fifty-two?" the tall brunette raged angrily.

"Miss Fields, if you let me finish my sentences..." Wren said, taken aback by her sudden outrage. He continued, "I didn't know that it was you they were referring to when they called me in last night to tell me that there was an 'emergency patient' checking in later that night. Besides, we can't change now. There're no open doctors at the moment. And I never really understood why you and the rest of Spencer's friends have a problem with me."

* * *

It was the end of a long day at Rosewood High and Aria Montgomery was currently throwing her things into the passenger seat of her car. Just as she was about to climb into the driver's seat, she heard a noise. Having years of 'training' thanks to **A**, she was alert. Turning around sharply, her eyes scanned the carpark – nothing. Only a few random cars parked here and there… although, there _was_ one car parked next to hers… and she recognised it.

"Maya?" the brunette softly called, squinting her eyes due to the sunlight while leaning down to see the person inside the car.

The darker girl quickly wiped her tears away. "Oh hey, Aria."

"What are you doing here? Are you okay?" the girl outside the car asked.

"Uh, I've been better, but otherwise, yea, I'm good…" she trailed off, wiping her face once again.

"Hey…" Aria pulled a sad face, feeling sorry for her friend. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if Ezra was cruelly taken away from her. She opened the door of the front-passenger's seat before seating herself. "You wanna talk about it?

Maya didn't reply. She had to do all she could in order to not burst into tears in front of her girlfriend's best friend.

"Maya… I _am_ here for you… _We_ are here for you… Spencer, Hanna, me, all of us…" Aria said sympathetically, frowning.

"I-I know, i-it's j-just…" Maya sighed. The flow of tears were heavy. "It's so unfair. Why does it h-have to be Emily? S-she's the s-sweetest person e-ever. She's an amazing p-person. Why do a-all the good ones have b-bad th-things h-happen to them?" she stuttered, sniffing.

"I don't know, sweetie, I don't know… but I wish I did… because Em's the most humble person on earth… But we _will_ get justice, Maya, we _will_. I promise you that." Aria opened her arms as an indication to Maya for a hug.

"Thanks, Aria. I _really_ do hope Em gets better quickly…"

* * *

Hanna and Spencer were sitting in the Hastings' living room, both sipping tea with an awkward silence between them. Just then, a person knocked through the back door.

"Lemme get that," Spencer muttered before getting up and putting her tea down to welcome the unknown person in.

"Hey." Toby came in and greeted his pregnant girlfriend with a short kiss.

The blonde, realising that they had close company, spoke up.

"Hey, uh, Spence? I'm gonna head home now, okay?"

"You don't have to leave, you can stay…" Spencer replied, cocking her head slightly.

"No, but thanks… I have a dinner date with Caleb anyways," Hanna lied before grabbing her bag. "Bye."

"What was that about?" Toby asked Spencer once the blonde had walked out the door.

"Uh, things… School, I guess… But hey, any specific reason why you're here?" the tall athlete asked.

"Nope, not in particular… Why, aren't I allowed to see my beautiful girlfriend?" Toby teased.

"Huh!" Spencer faked being hurt, "how offending!" she laughed. The brown-haired boy laughed too, before pulling her in for a passion-filled kiss.

"Bryanna," Spencer said, suddenly pulling away.

"Huh?" a confused Toby frowned.

"That's what I want our daughter's name to be."

"You think we're having a girl?" Toby asked, his eyes and smile widening.

"Just a feeling, Tobes. Could be a boy, no-one knows," Spencer teased, sticking her tongue out.

"I love you, Spencer Hastings. So much."

* * *

"Hello?" a groggy Hanna answered her phone that had been buzzing for the past three minutes.

"Hey babe," another voice greeted.

"Hey Caleb," she said, yawning.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" the shaggy-haired boy asked.

"Sorta. But it's cool, I was supposed to get up around about this time anyway…"

"Well, I'm coming to pick you up in an hour's time, okay? We have a reservation for eight o'clock at the Apple Rose Grill."

"What?" Hanna said, internally groaning. Yes, she _had_ lied to Spencer saying that she had a dinner date with Caleb, but she didn't know it'd actually become true…

"Why, you don't want to?" Caleb asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"No, no, just… nothing, babe. I'll see you later, okay? Love you," Hanna said quickly.

"Love you too. Don't dress too much," he teased, cutting the call. Smiling to herself at her boyfriend's cheekiness, she stripped to jump into the shower.

* * *

The blonde was putting on her final touches of make-up when she heard a _ding-dong_. Smiling broadly to herself, she put the make-up away before grabbing her purse and heading downstairs. Her opinion of this date had completely changed as she was taking her shower. She was _really_ looking forward to it.

Opening the front door, she was greeting by a handsome young gentleman who looked very casually dressed.

"You look… stunning…" Caleb let out, making Hanna blush lightly and giggle.

"Why, you don't look so bad yourself," she replied in an old-fashioned accent.

"Shall we?" he played along, offering his arm to her to walk her to the car. He opened her door for her and she gave him a _proper hello_ and _thank you_, before swiftly climbing in.

A few minutes into the drive, Caleb took a foreign turn.

"Hey, I thought we were going to the Grill?" Hanna asked, frowning slightly.

"I thought we could use more privacy," Caleb replied, smiling at the blonde.

"That's no problem with me," she said, smiling too. The young couple interlaced their fingers, with Caleb's other hand on the steering wheel.

A good quarter of an hour later, Caleb parked his car, particularly in the middle of nowhere.

"Stay in the car," he told her as he got out. He ran to the other side to open her car door for her.

"Aren't you being cliché today, Mr Rivers," Hanna teased, smirking.

"Whatever," he replied, scrunching up his face in a playful way. The soon-to-be-father took his girlfriend by her hand. "Let's go."

"Where're you taking me?" she curiously asked.

"You see, babe," he chuckled, kissing her hand softly.

They walked in the quietness for a short period of time. Up ahead, Hanna saw a dead-end.

"Uh, Caleb, there's no path there."

"Trust me, Han," he whispered, leading the way. When he finally came to a halt, Hanna let out a breath she had been holding.

"Caleb… this is so pretty…" she said in awe. The view was fantastic. They were at the highest point in Rosewood, and looking down, she could see the town's lights glittering in the distance. Although Rosewood was small and creepy, especially with all the things she had been going through, it was a magnificent view from up here.

"I know. Do you like it?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist from the back.

"I love it," she replied, closing her eyes at the embrace.

"Come, let's sit," he said, gesturing to the single and lonely looking bench. There was some sort of writing on it, but the blonde girl couldn't make out what it read from the short distance. They walked up to it.

_-Hanna &amp; Caleb: Till Death Do Us Part -_

"Caleb?" she questioned.

"My dad made it. He put it up here a few days ago at my request," the boy chuckled, looking at his bewildered girlfriend's reactions.

"I love you," she whispered, turning around and hugging him tightly. "I love you."

* * *

The couple were sat on the bench, with Hanna's head resting against her boyfriend's chest. She felt his heart rate rapidly increase.

"Babe, you okay?" she idly asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he answered, nervously chuckling.

A few minutes later, Caleb started squirming uncomfortably. His heart rate still hadn't slowed down.

This time, Hanna lifted her head from its position and looked into his eyes.

"Caleb, are you sure you're okay? You're heartbeat's seriously fast…" she trailed off.

"No, everything's fine, Hanna, don't worry." He smiled his reassuring smile, silently trying to swallow the urge to blurt everything out.

"If you say so…" she mumbled. Just before she could put her head down again, Caleb fell to the ground.


	33. Chapter 33: Promises

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars: Emily's Radley doctor ironically happens to be Wren. Aria comforts a devastated Maya, while Spencer thinks she's pregnant with a baby girl. Hanna and Caleb are isolated from the town when he suddenly falls to the ground._

* * *

"Caleb, are you sure you're okay? You're heartbeat's seriously fast…" Hanna asked for the second time, lifting her head to look him in the eyes.

"No, everything's fine, Hanna, don't worry." He smiled his reassuring smile, silently trying to swallow the urge to blurt everything out.

"If you say so…" she mumbled. Just before she could put her head down again, Caleb fell to the ground.

On his knees.

He gently took Hanna's hands in his. "Hanna Marin…" he started. "Before I met you, I was a complete mess. I was just some foster kid who had people on his tail, trying to hunt him down. I had done some pretty messed up things. I'm not proud of the things I've done, and neither were the people around me. They judged me for my mistakes and regarded me as some sort of damaged animal. But you… You never judged me… I told you my dark side and you were still there for me. I don't think I'll ever find a person like you, Hanna. So… I want to give you this…" Caleb fumbled in his pocket for a few split seconds before pulling out a small box. "It's not an engagement ring, before you freak out," he chuckled. He opened the box. "It's a promise ring. A promise that I'm making to you, that one day, I'll replace it with the real deal… So… Will you accept my Promise?" he finished softly.

* * *

There was a soft knock on her door, followed by its opening. Emily turned her head in its direction.

"Hello, Emily." A familiar voice chirped.

The raven-haired girl groaned. "What part of 'I don't want you to be my doctor' did you not understand?"

"I was just dropping by to say hi," Doctor Kingston said, closing the door behind him and stepping in. "I have some good news for you, though. As of in three days, you'll be allowed visitors."

At the word 'visitors', Emily's ears pricked up.

"Visitors?" she repeated – the first word she had spoken since her doctor stepped into her room.

"Yes. Unless, of course, you don't want to see people-"

"No, no, I'd love to see people." Emily quickly corrected him.

"That's great. Look, it's getting quite late. You have your first therapy session after lunch."

"With you?" she asked, half of her hoping that he'll say no, that she was to be transferred to another doctor.

"Yes. I'm sorry I can't do anything about it," Wren replied in his charming accent. "Goodnight, Emily. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," the athlete replied in a monotone, her face, dropping its expression back to blank-face again.

At least she could see her loved ones in three days.

_But if only she knew what could happen in those three days…_

* * *

**The next day**

Hanna lay in her bed, absent mindedly staring at the ring on her right-hand ring-finger. She smiled at it. She couldn't believe her life – blessed to have such an amazing future-fiancé.

Suddenly, her room door burst open.

"Good morning, sweetie!" There stood Ashely Marin, dressed for work.

"Uh, morning, mom. What's with the excitement?" the blonde asked her mother groggily.

"Just feeling good today, sweetie. Hanna… What 's on your finger?!" Ashley's eyes widened, before she started walking towards Hanna.

_Shit_, the blonde thought. Her mom wasn't supposed to see that.

"I, uh, mom, uh, I…" Hanna didn't know what to say. It was like she had suddenly lost the ability to speak.

"Hanna?" Ashley raised an eyebrow, giving her daughter the 'you-have-some-serious-explaining-to-do' look.

"Mom, it's nothing, really-"

"Hanna Marin, do not try to lie to me," she said in a stern, motherly tone. "Who gave it to you, and why?"

Hanna knew she was defeated. There was no point in trying to argue with her mother, let alone lie to her face.

"It's a promise ring that Caleb gave to me last night," the blonde mumbled, looking away.

"Promise? Caleb?" said Ashley, cocking her head slightly.

"Yea. He said he'll marry me one day…" she trailed off.

"That's great, honey," Mrs Marin said suddenly, but softly. "He knows responsibility, huh…" It was a lot to take in for her, but something told her that Caleb would stick with her and their children.

* * *

**Rosewood High**

As the bell rang, signalling the start of lunch, Spencer, Aria, and Hanna met by the cafeteria.

"Hey guys," greeted Aria, yawning.

"Hey," the other two replied, both catching Aria's yawn.

Then, from a distance, they saw their friend's girlfriend heading towards them.

"Morning, guys-… Or afternoon, whatever…" said Maya in a jittery tone.

"Hey Maya… How are you?" Hanna cautiously asked, the three girls all throwing each other quick glances. They could only imagine what she was going through, and the kind of willpower she had in order to not murder Benjamin Coogan.

"I'm good, thanks. Actually, I've been better, but I have news. Emily's mother called me this morning, saying that she was uh… That she was allowed visitors in two days."

"Really?!" Spencer exclaimed, eyes wide, smiling.

"Seriously?!" Aria said, grinning.

"But uh… Why don't you look happy?" Hanna asked, being the only one to question that fact that Maya still looked half –dead.

"I just… I don't know… I don't know if I'm ready or whatever… I just don't know… Anyways, I just wanted you guys to know that in case you wanted to visit her-"

"Of course we want to visit her!" the shortest brunette said in a sing-along voice.

"Great. Okay, have a good day guys," Maya said, before walking past the trio.

"Is it just me or is something off with her?" Spencer asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I don't know… But I sure hope it's nothing serious… Poor Em needs all the support she can get right now…" Hanna finished. _You'd better not be having second thoughts about her, Maya._

* * *

Spencer and Toby got out of Spencer's car and walked hand-in-hand to the hospital doors.

"You really don't want to know the gender?" Toby asked for the fifth time.

"Tobes… I told you, you can know the gender. Just don't tell me, because I want it to be a surprise…" the tall brunette chuckled, giving her boyfriend's hand a gentle, yet firm squeeze.

"No, if you're not going to know it, I'm not either," he said in a determined voice, pecking his girlfriend's cheek.

"If you say so," Spencer said, laughing at his adorableness.

A good fifteen-minutes after they had checked in and confirmed their booked appointment with Dr Jean, the nurse finally called.

"Spencer Hastings?"

The couple made their way to their doctor's office, with Spencer feeling a tad bit nervous. Probably pregnancy hormones…

"Ah, Spencer! Lovely to see you! And you too, Toby!" Dr Jean squealed, smiling big. "And how's the mystery baby?"

"I guess that's what we came to find out today! I've been eating well, and the morning sickness has stopped, so that's a relief…" Spencer said, returning the smile.

"Sounds good so far," said Jenny, pointing to the table. "You remember what to do, I presume? Just lay there while Mr Soon-to-be-Daddy holds your hand tight. The gel will be cold!"

The couple laughed at the doctor's fluffiness. She looked like the whole 'heal-with-love' kind of doctor.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Please, Hastings are _born_ ready," the ex-athlete replied sassily, smirking.

"Alrighty! Here goes!" The doctor squeezed some of the crystal clear gel onto the pregnant teenager's stomach.

"Oooh," Spencer muttered, letting a shaky breath out. Toby chucked.

"Cold, Spence?"

"No duh?!" the brunette said, laughing.

"Spencer, look," the doctor said, pointing at the screen. "That's your baby."

The couple gasped. He or she was so… real…

"You're seventeen weeks along, which is four months and one week. Your baby's small, but healthy. That's why you're not showing too hectically."

"The baby's small?" Spencer asked in a panicky voice. Toby squeezed her hand.

"Yes, but not to worry, as I said, it's a very healthy baby. It will grow rapidly in the next few weeks or months. Spencer," the doctor said, looking sternly into the worried mother's eyes, "I want you not to worry or stress out. That could only cause damage and no good, okay?"

Spencer nodded slowly. She could only hope that her baby was fine.

* * *

Aria pouted as she looked in the mirror for the millionth time. She looked fat. No doubt about that.

"Aria?" a voice called out.

"In here!" she replied, continuing to stare at the reflection in the mirror.

"Can I come in?" the voice outside the door asked softly.

"Sure," said the petite girl. Again, her eyes didn't move from where they were fixed upon.

The bathroom door slowly opened and on the other side of it, stood soon-to-be-father, Ezra Fitz.

"What're you doing here, babe?" he asked, cocking his head slightly to one side.

"Just… Ezra…" Aria whined, "why do I look so fat?"

"Aria… we've had this discussion before. You're everything but fat. You're carrying a life inside you."

"Yea, I know, but… Spencer's three weeks further than me and she's smaller than this," she argued, pointing at her bump.

Ezra chuckled. "You're much smaller than she is, Pookie Bear…"

Aria sighed. "You're not helping. Let's go, buy me ice-cream?" she asked with those big brown eyes.

"Of course," the college professor replied, jokingly rolling his eyes and hugging his girlfriend's waist from behind.

* * *

Exhaustion took away the hurt and pain Maya was feeling. Lately she was so confused and just didn't know what to do. Staring at the dark sky from her bedroom window wasn't exactly lifting her moods either. Emily had been admitted to Radley for nearly a week, okay, no, four days. In those four days, she had done a lot of thinking. They had been through so much together. Through thick and thin because of –A, their sexuality, the crowd, the people, just about everything. The raven-haired girl sat on her bed and did some more thinking. Would she be willing to settle down with Emily and start a family? If so, when? Who would do the proposing? Cut that, Emily's parents didn't even know they were together. They didn't even know that their only daughter is a homosexual. What would they say? How would they react when she came out to them? Would she ever come out to them? If not, what would happen to their relationship? Could she handle it? Could she handle broken, hurt, destroyed Emily? Could she? How would she have changed? Would she have changed at all in Radley? How was she, really? After getting raped, it wouldn't be the easiest thing to carry on living – it would be easier to give up on everything. It would be easier to think about suicide. It would be easier to have depression, PTSD, anxiety. Was Maya, herself, ready to accept those things and proceed with her life with Emily? A small voice in her brain shouted _you love her, of course you would!_ But the scary thing was, an even bigger voice in her head screamed _you can't live like that! You can't live with a broken person!_ Maya was going to have to choose, and she was going to have to choose fast. Because she knew that if she saw Emily in two days' time and saw how damaged and dead she looked, she just might do something she regretted.


	34. Chapter 34: Out

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

* * *

_Plot-line__ on Pregnant Little Liars:_

_Spencer gets pregnant, and Hanna suggests that they form a pregnancy pact to support her. Three weeks later, Hanna and Aria wind up pregnant. Emily breaks up with Ben because she was not sure about her sexuality; she eventually comes out as lesbian to her friends, and ends up dating Maya. Hanna and Caleb are having twins; all the girls have told their respective families about their own pregnancies. Emily gets raped by her ex-boyfriend, Ben. Her mother and Maya find out, and they suggest she goes to Radley Sanitarium for help. While there, Emily's doctor happens to be Wren. Caleb gives Hanna a promise ring, and Hanna accepts. Maya was having second thoughts about being with Emily, two days before Emily would be allowed visitors._

* * *

**_Two days later_**

Emily Fields was currently in her second therapy session with none other than Doctor Wren Kingston.

He tapped his pen on his clipboard. "Emily, if you don't talk to me, we won't make any progress," he said, sighing. So far, the two-hour session had been filled with nothing but silence, much like the silence he had received yesterday. "You know you're getting visitors today?"

The soul that sat on the bed slowly turned her head towards the young doctor.

"Look, I know it's hard talking about your trauma-" he started, but was soon cut off my Emily.

"No, what's hard is, is the fact that I'm in a place that I don't want to be in while the people I love are in danger, as well as the fact that _you_ are my doctor," she muttered.

Wren seized his chance and jotted down something on his so-far blank report sheet. "There. That's all I need for today, Emily. We're done. I hope you have a good time with your visitors today." He stood up and walked to the door, turning back to briefly smile at the girl before walking out.

The patient stayed where she was, staring into the nothingness. After what seemed like a blink of an eye, she realised that someone was calling her.

"Emily. Emily? Emily!" the voice called gently. Emily made direct eye contact with the voice. "How are you, honey?"

"Mom!" The loudness of her own voice shocked her a little. She didn't know she could feel so happy seeing someone.

"How are you? Are you okay? How are the doctors here? Are they taking care of you-" Pam ranted on.

"Mom," the daughter began, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Oh honey… I can't believe this… One second your life was picture perfect, and the next… That son of a-"

"Mom!" Emily managed a small laugh. "Don't. Calling him names won't reverse my situation." _Oh mom. You think my life was picture perfect before Ben… If only you knew…_

Pam had tears in her eyes. "Emily… Why are you so soft-hearted? Why… Why do you have to be so kind… Seeing you like this-… Why do all the good people always get hurt…"

"Mom. Mom look at me," Emily said faking a light smile on her face. "I'm okay. I will be okay. I promise."

* * *

Aria, Hanna and Spencer were sitting in the Hastings' living room, with Spencer making coffee for the three.

"Hey Spence?" Aria called.

"Yeah?"

"How far along are you?" the tiny brunette asked.

"Seventeen weeks… Why?" Spencer replied, turning around to make eye contact.

"No, it's just…" Aria trailed off. "No, nothing."

"No, Aria, what? Why did you ask me how far along I was?" Spencer defensively asked.

"I just feel like… You just look smaller than me… and you've like three weeks ahead of me…"

"I know. The doctor said the baby's small." Spencer went back to making the drink.

"Why-" Aria began, but was cut off by the blonde.

"Would you guys just stop talking for one second? I need to focus!" An irritated Hanna waved her right hand that was holding her mascara.

Aria giggled. "So, Spence, do you know the gender yet? I mean seventeen weeks is far enough to tell… And if your most recent ultrasound was within this week…"

"Nope, I'm going to surprise myself," the taller brunette replied smoothly. "I'll know if I have a boy or a girl the day I become a mother."

Hanna suddenly stopped her movements. "Spencer! How would you decorate the nursery?!"

"Geez, Han, relax. I'll… do it a gender mutual colour or something," she replied, rolling her eyes at her friend's craziness. "And you guys? Thirteen weeks is good enough to know the gender, isn't it?"

"I guess, but I'm only going back in a couple of weeks' time, so I'll find out then," Hanna said, resuming her previous concentration of applying her makeup.

"Hey guys, just don't forget we have to visit Emily later today," Aria reminded. "We should bring her something she likes."

* * *

Pam and Emily had been talking for a good half an hour, when Pam thought it was appropriate to casually have the 'Maya conversation'.

"So, honey… This Maya girl – you two seem really close," she cautiously said. She watched her daughter's face fall.

"Oh, uhm… Yeah… Yeah, we're pretty close," Emily muttered, anxiety tying knots in her stomach.

Pam sighed. "Sweetie, Spencer and Aria told me to ask you about Maya-"

"What? When? Why?" Emily asked in a panic.

"Well, no, not exactly. That day when we were trying to convince you to go to Radley… When you were having a breakdown – you remember how Maya talked to you alone? Well, I thought it was a little bit weird, because, well, I don't really know her that well, but she seemed you have your trust the most…" Pam trailed off. "So I asked the girls who Maya was, and they just told me that it was best you told me."

_'I can't really get out of this one, can I…'_ Emily thought to herself. She didn't say anything. The truth was, there was a very loud battle going on in her head, and the side that was telling her to come out to her mother was slowly, but surely winning.

"Mom… I… I love Maya, mom" the swimmer said softly.

"I know you do, honey. You love all your friends. They hold a special place in your life," Pam chuckled, not catching onto her daughter's desperate call.

Emily took a deep breath. "No, mom. I love Maya," she repeated.

"I know you do-… Oh…" Mom frowned. "You mean as more than a friend," she slowly said.

"Yes mom," Emily replied in a whisper, choking on her words. Anxiety had not only tied knots, it had also drowned her.

The two sat in silence for what seemed like eternity to both. The silence was finally broken when they heard a knock at Emily's door. It opened and in stepped a girl.

"Em-… Oh… Hello Mrs Fields," Maya greeted, slightly surprised that Pam was already here.

"This isn't the best time, Maya-" Emily started, but was cut off by Pam.

"No, no that's alright," Pam said, standing up. "I was just leaving."

"No, mom, you don't have to. Maya can come back later, can't you, Maya?" Emily directed the last part of her sentence to her girlfriend who had no idea what was going on.

"No, really, Emily, it's alright. I'll come back later, sweetie," Mom repeated, smiling at her daughter. She turned towards the door and made her way out.

"Bye Mrs Fields," said Maya, holding a brief smile.

"I'll see you later, Maya. And it's good to know that you mean a lot to Emily. She needs someone like you during this time…" Pam hesitated to say get the next few words out. "You have my blessing." With that, she walked out.

Maya turned to her girlfriend. "Have her blessing? Does that mean what I think it means…?" she asked slowly, cocking her head slightly.

Emily was overwhelmed by her mother's reaction. She had expected a lecture on how that lifestyle was wrong – maybe even a look of sheer disgust. But what had just happened was too good.

"I… Well… Uh…" she couldn't find the words.

"Em, did you just come out to your mom?" Maya asked, sitting down on the bed and taking Emily's hands into hers.

"I think so… And I think… I think… I think she still loves me," Emily whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"Oh Em… Of course your mother would still love you. She's your mother, not your judge."

* * *

"You guys ready?" Spencer asked the two girls while walking down the staircase.

"Yeah, let me just grab my coat," Aria replied, getting up from the couch.

"I can't find my phone," Hanna muttered, sticking her hands in between the cushions. Spencer was already at the door and Aria too, was ready.

"Come on, Han, we have to go now if we want to see Emily," said Spencer, rummaging through her bag for her car keys.

"Give me a minute. It should be here somewhere…" Just as Hanna finished her sentenced, a phone rang from underneath the couch. "There you are."

"Who's calling?" Aria asked.

"It's… it's Maya," Hanna replied, answering the call. "Hello?"

While the blonde talked to Maya, Spencer and Aria were deciding on what to get Emily.

"I don't know, some muffins?" Aria suggested.

"Yeah, why not-"

"Hey guys," Hanna said, cutting Spencer off. "We can't see Emily today."

"Why?" Spencer asked, frowning.

"Maya said that she's had a tough day and that she's drained. She suggested that it would be best if we left her to rest today and just visit tomorrow or something," Hanna explained.

"Of course she's had a tough day – she's not in Radley because she couldn't do her Physics homework, she's in there because-"

"Spence, she just came out to her mom."

There was silence for a minute.

"That must have been tough on her," Aria said quietly. "And I'm glad that Maya got herself together. She seemed pretty shaken up and distracted the other day…"

"Yeah she did. I'm just glad that Emily doesn't have to carry around that luggage anymore," Spencer said, opening her front door. "Let's get some take out and celebrate for Emily."

In Spencer's car, the two brunettes were chatting away as Hanna sent a text.

_Hey Maya! _

_Please tell Emily that we love her and that we support her no matter what!_

_-Hanna_

_P.S. You two are adorable ;)_

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow! Long time no see! I'd completely lost the motivation to write for almost a year... But I have so much planned for this story! I hope you guys can forgive me for my absence...! Happy reading and stay tuned! **

**-He0524**


	35. Chapter 35: Freedom Doesn't Come Cheap

Disclaimer: I do NOT own PLL

**Warning: CONTENT SLIGHTLY MATURE**

* * *

_Previously on Pregnant Little Liars: Emily came out to Pam who was rather accepting than what Emily had anticipated. Maya shook off herself having second thoughts and visited Emily who is in Radley._

* * *

**Three weeks later**

"Hanna! Come on! We're going to be late!" shouted an impatient Caleb excitedly to his girlfriend who was in the shower. He popped his head into the bathroom. "Are you nearly done?"

"Caleb! Shut-up, get out, and give me a moment to stop the shampoo from getting in my mou- Arggg!" Hanna shouted but stopped mid-sentence as shampoo slid into her mouth.

"Did you get shampoo in your mouth?" Caleb asked, trying to muffle a laugh.

"Mm mm mm!" the blonde said as loudly as she could. She wasn't going to open her mouth again.

"I'll just be out here, waiting," said the boy, not able to contain his laughter. As he was about to close the door, the water stopped running and a dripping wet Hanna emerged from behind the shower curtains.

"What're you staring at," she snapped playfully, stepping out of the shower and rolling her eyes.

"You look... amazing," said the boy, staring at the view in front of him.

"I know," Hanna replied with a smirk, while drying off. "Now get out and give me fifteen minutes. Then I promise we'll get going."

"Yes ma'am," Caleb barked, sneaking one last view before closing the door.

As promised, fifteen minutes later, the couple pregnant with twins were in the car on their way to the OB/GYN.

"You know, we're finding out the gender today," Caleb said, this time, unable to contain his excitement.

"And so you've mentioned," Hanna teased. "About a thousand times."

"Hey, it's not every day you find out the gender of your child!" Caleb defensively argued.

"You mean children," she corrected. "Do you want them to be girls or boys?"

"I was hoping for one girl and one boy, but seeing that's impossible…" he trailed off. "I want two boys. How _awesome_ would that be?"

"I want both girls. I have a feeling they're both girls," the blonde said, smirking.

"Why do you say so?" Caleb asked, grinning.

"Oh no, just a mother's instincts…" said Hanna, leaving the boy to wonder for himself.

* * *

"Emily, we've made great progress in the last couple of weeks," said Wren, smiling warmly at the tanned girl. "But today, I'm going to ask you to do something a little more challenging."

"Okay…" Emily replied slowly, not knowing what to expect.

"Alright. I want you to tell me why you think you're doing so well – making good progress."

"Uh…" Emily thought for a moment. "Because I have nothing to hide anymore?" she said it more like a question.

"What don't you have to hide anymore?" Dr Kingston asked.

"I, uh… I came out to my mom a few weeks ago. Ever since then, I've felt so free, like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel unstoppable, like the world is mine."

"And your trauma doesn't affect you as much as it did when you first came here?"

"No, that's still here. The feeling of disgust and pity still washes over me sometimes, and although I know it's not my fault, it's just…" she trailed off.

A good five minutes passed.

"Emily?" Wren called out.

"Hm?" Emily responded, snapping out of her trance.

"You were saying you know it's not your fault, but something. What did you mean by that?"

There was silence again before the swimmer spoke up. "The point is, I hated and partially blamed myself for what happened to me. I thought it had happened because… because I like girls. I thought it was the universe's way of saying 'screw you, Emily'… But when my mom accepted me and treated me no different than before I told her… It… it made me realise that I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time in my life."

When Wren was positive that Emily had finished what was truly on her mind, he began talking.

"This is me talking to you as someone I know outside of this place, so I'm going to be unprofessional – screw whatever the hell the universe tells you. You're you, and now that you've come out, that doesn't make you any less you. You're an amazing person, regardless of your sexual orientation. Now, professionally speaking, well done, Emily. I really congratulate you," he finished sincerely.

"Thank you... Wait... Does this mean… Does this mean you're letting me go home?" Emily questioned.

"I don't see why not. You've completed the most important thing of this programme – being comfortable with yourself, knowing that your trauma was real, and that it wasn't your fault. I'm cutting your remaining sessions from eleven to three. And then you're good to go," the doctor replied in his charming accent, smiling genuinely at her.

For the first time in a long time, Emily felt free. Genuinely _free_.

* * *

"Hanna Marin?" the nurse called. "Dr Jean is ready for you."

The young couple stood up and walked hand-in-hand to the all-too-familiar office.

"Hi guys! It's so good to see you again! I trust all is well with your little ones?" Dr Jean greeted cheerfully.

"Yeah. Yeah, all's good," Hanna said, smiling. "And we'd like to find out the gender today."

"Oh fun!" she said, clapping her hands together. Pointing to the bed, she added, "when you're ready, of course."

Hanna propped herself up on the bed and lifted her shirt up, anticipating the cold gel.

Thirty seconds flat later, the couple were looking at two tiny human-like structures.

"There's the heartbeat of Baby A…" Jenny said, smiling, "and there's Baby B's heartbeat!"

"I can't believe this is really happening," Caleb said softly, mesmerized by the heartbeats.

"Are you ready for the gender?" the doctor asked.

"Yes!" Caleb said, a little too loudly. Hanna chuckled.

"Alright… here goes… Congratulations! You're having identical baby girls!"

"Ha! I told you so!" said Hanna, looking up at Caleb. The boy had tears in his eyes.

"That's a miracle, right there. Our two little miracles. We're going to have two mini-you's, running around and totally _owning_ the place," Caleb whispered to Hanna. "I love you so much, Hanna, and _thank_ _you_. Thank you for giving me a second chance." With that, he kissed her cheek.

* * *

"Ezzzraaa," Aria pleaded, whining. "Please?"

"No, Aria, I'm not going to leave," Ezra said seriously.

"You have to! It's an important faculty conference!" Aria argued.

"No, it isn't," Ezra said, smiling that boyish smile of his.

"Really? Oh, I thought I heard my dad say it was one of the most important meetings for the faculty," said Aria, thick on sarcasm. "Please, go. We'll be fine."

"Aria, I don't find it necessary to go. I promise it'll be fine even if I don't go." Ezra tried to put an end to the conversation.

"Ezra, I swear if you don't get on that plane to Boston-" Aria began her threat, but was cut off by him.

"Aria, listen. It's in six weeks' time. If you're still so keen on me attending that meeting in six weeks, I promise I'll go, alright? But until then, let's not stress about something so unimportant. Okay?"

"Fine. But you're still-" As Aria tried to complete her sentence, she was cut off a second time – this time, by her phone receiving a text.

"Who's it from?" Ezra asked, getting up from the couch to fetch some water.

"Hanna. She says… Aw, that's nice, she's having girls!" Aria cooed, smiling.

"Oh, she found out the gender!" Ezra stated excitedly.

"Yeah… Just now, apparently. She wants to celebrate sometime later this week," said Aria, quickly responding to her text.

"I would like our baby to be a girl," said Ezra, smiling brightly, making his way back over to the couch.

"I want a boy," Aria counter-argued, smirking.

"I wouldn't mind a boy either, but if it was a girl… I'd jump to the moon and back, to be honest."

"Nah," said Aria, a sly grin creeping across her face. "What if she starts dating her English teacher at school? That'd be too much chaos," she teased.

Ezra chucked. "So what are you saying – that I'm too much for you?" It was his turn to tease.

"Mhm. Especially when you still taught at Rosewood High. Gosh, it was _so hard_ to concentrate on the subject when my _sexy_ boyfriend was up there, looking all _hot_ in a vest, teaching the class," Aria said giggling.

"Oh, is that what happened?" Ezra laughed. "I thought you could concentrate _just fine_."

"Not possible," said Aria, shaking her head. "_Not _possible."

* * *

Spencer was doing some research on her laptop in her bedroom, when a pair of familiar hands covered her eyes from behind.

"There's a surprise waiting for you downstairs," said Toby softly.

"Mm, hey," Spencer greeted, turning around to peck him quickly. "How was your day?"

"Busy. But in a good way. I worked on something," replied Toby.

"Really? What?" Spencer asked, glad to hear that her boyfriend had done something that he enjoyed.

"You'll see. Come, let's go downstairs. But you can't peek, okay?"

"I won't," promised Spencer, eagerly taking Toby's hand and closing her eyes.

"Okay, last step… there we go," Toby said softly, smiling to himself. "You ready?"

"Yes!" Spencer replied a little too quickly. Toby chuckled.

"You can open your eyes now."

As Spencer opened her eyes, she was touched at the piece of furniture that lay in front of her.

"Do you like it?" he asked softly.

"It's amazing… I love it," Spencer replied sincerely. "Thank you so much…" In front of the tall brunette, lay a beautifully crafted crib. "I can't believe you made this…"

"I'm just glad you like it. And I, uh, I didn't know what colour to paint it, so I went with beige. I hope that's okay, because if it's not-" Toby was cut off with a passionate kiss from Spencer.

Once the kiss was broken, Spencer put their foreheads together and whispered, "Our baby is the luckiest baby in the world. To have a father like you, Toby, would be a great privilege itself. You are amazing, and I'm sure our baby will love his or hers first crib. I know they will – because their Daddy made it for them."

* * *

"Hey," Maya said softly once Emily had woken up.

"Hey… How long have you been sitting there? Why didn't you wake me?" Emily asked groggily. She sat up on the bed and wiped her eyes.

"I like watching you sleeping. You're _insanely_ _beautiful_ when you're asleep," Maya responded casually.

Emily blushed. "Oh, so it's a thing you do, huh? Watch me sleep?" she teased.

"Well, sorta, yeah," Maya replied, giggling. She looked into Emily's eyes.

"I can go home soon," said Emily after some time.

"Really? When?" Maya asked, a big smile appearing on her face.

"I have three sessions left. And then-"

"You can come home…" Maya finished her sentence for her.

Emily grinned. "Yeah."

"I'd love that," Maya admitted ecstatically. A few tears formed in her eyes. "I love you, Emily. And I'm so proud of you – you have no idea how proud I am to call you my girlfriend. You've had things that you don't deserve happen to you, and you've come out on the other side, stronger than ever. I _love_ you."

"I love you too, Maya. Thank you for sticking with me when I was at my low point in life. Without you… I don't know what I would have done," Emily croaked. The two looked into each others' eyes for what felt like an eternity.

"I'm going to kiss you, Emily, but feel free to pull back whenever you feel like it. You don't have to have a reason, okay?" said the shorter girl carefully, before slowly leaning in. At this perfect moment, time felt like it was moving in slow motion for Emily. She took note of everything at once – Maya's big, beautiful brown eyes, closing slowly as the distance between their bodies became lessened. The touch of Maya's hand on her cheek, the touch of her soft lips as their lips met, _hell_ the way they tasted like applemint – her favourite chapstick. When the swimmer breathed in, she could smell the intoxicating, natural scent of her lover. It was faint, but it was there. She didn't know how to describe Maya's scent, apart from saying that it was like a drug. A strong, narcotic drug.  
Everything else around Emily went bizarrely quiet. In this moment in time, she could feel and hear her own heart beating, racing as though it was sprinting. Their lips continued to move in perfect synchronisation, almost as if they were at a dance recital. It wasn't their first kiss, but Emily felt the very same way she felt that fateful day, when Maya St Germain walked into her bedroom and kissed her. Fireworks were an understatement. It was a warm, sensual feeling of two souls being _connected_. Emily decided to take it a step further. She deepened the kiss slightly. Maya was slightly surprised, but recovered and responded quickly. Hands were roaming each other's' bodies, but respectfully. It was not sexual, but instead, it was filled with pure passion. Passion so great that-

"Go _Emily_!" The couple jumped apart after hearing a voice full of energy. By Emily's door, stood Hanna, Aria, and Spencer, with Hanna smirking. Emily blushed a deep crimson, while Maya rolled her eyes, giggling. Typical Hanna.

"I'll see you later, Em," Maya said quickly, before gathering her things, pecking Emily's cheek, and walking out.

"That was _some_ action right there, Em," the blonde teased, still smirking.

"I can't believe you guys saw that…" the embarrassed swimmer mumbled, hiding her face in her hands. "How long did you guys stand there?"

"Not long."

"Not long."

"Oh, a _very_ long time." The three girls said in unison, with Aria and Spencer having identical answers.

Soon enough, the girls had caught up on the latest gossip, and were enjoying some quality time together.

"Oh, and Hanna's having twin girls!" Aria exclaimed.

"What? Oh my gosh, congratulations!" Emily cried, opening her arms for a hug from her friend.

"Thanks, Em," Hanna replied, hugging her friend and smiling.

"I can't believe how quiet **A**'s been…" Aria trailed off. "It's too quiet it's almost like I'm living in a dream."

"Too quiet can never be good," Hanna muttered, her expression becoming solid.

"Maybe it's had its fun. Maybe he or she – whatever – is leaving us alone…" Aria suggested quietly.

"Aria, that bitch is far from done. He or she's probably planning a freaking war," Spencer said, going completely against Aria's idea. Just then, Spencer's phone chimed.

_You're right, Spence. I'm far from done. I'm just giving my dolls a break before the real drAma goes down. Send my love to Emmy._

_Kisses, bitches._

**A**

* * *

**A/N: Hello Readers! I hope you are all well! This chapter's ending is what motivated me to finish writing the _damn_ chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Who doesn't like a chapter filled with quality couple moments?! Thank you for all your support! **

**Until next time.**

**-He0524**

**P.S. This is the last pre-written chapter I have. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but hopefully it won't be a year later...**


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